Can 957 signatures halt a $1 billion data center in Augusta Township?

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Augusta Township residents who want voters to have a say on zoning for a proposed data center site handed in 957 petition signatures for a ballot initiative Monday, exceeding their goal of 700.

561 valid signatures are needed to put a question on an upcoming ballot, according to Augusta Charter Township Clerk Kim Gonczy.

Township resident Wendy Tobler, who volunteered with the petition drive, said she’s pleased with the number of residents supporting the initiative. It pushes back on the Augusta Township Board of Trustees’ July 22 decision to approve the rezoning of 522 acres for a $1 billion data center planned for a site near Milan.

The ballot question would let voters decide whether to overturn the board’s zoning decision.

“Seven people spoke for 7,000 people, whether we wanted it or not,” Tobler said of the board’s zoning decision. “This way we can all choose instead of them.”

Organizers collected 957 signatures, Tobler said, adding that the final number may be closer to 900 because of issues with some signatures not matching addresses.

Residents have raised concerns that a power and water-hungry data center project could impact utility rates and energy reliability as well as create noise and air pollution. 

The facility is designed to hold large numbers of computer servers and networking equipment, according to a report from the planning firm Carlisle Wortman Associates. Companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Meta use such facilities to support digital infrastructure, the report says.

If the petition is verified, the data center development will be on hold until voters weigh in on the zoning, Gonczy said. She estimated it would take “a couple of weeks” to verify the petition signatures. 

Resident says township officials harassed signature gathers, clerk disagrees

The board’s vote to rezone the site has led to tension between trustees and some residents, which was on display at a township board meeting Tuesday night.

One commenter told the board that she plans to file a complaint with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, alleging Clerk Gonczy called the police on residents gathering signatures earlier this month near the Augusta Township office.

“Calling the cops, that’s harassment,” resident Deborah Fuqua-Frey said during public comment, adding that trustees needed to learn they are representing township residents rather than themselves. Fuqua-Frey ran unsuccessfully for township treasurer in 2024.

Gonczy said police were called because of resident safety concerns over the signature gatherers, who had set up a tent near the intersection of Whitaker and Talladay roads. 

In a statement to Planet Detroit, she said it’s a dangerous corner where several accidents have occurred, and that someone parked on the edge of the road, facing in the wrong direction.

“The county was called, and they said to call the police,” she said. Gonczy did not say whether she made the call to police.

Tobler, who said she was present when the police showed up earlier this month, hesitates to call the township’s actions “harassment,” telling Planet Detroit:” “it was certainly meant to make life more difficult for us.”

Tobler said she’s passed out literature at the same location during multiple elections without incident. She acknowledged that petition gatherers were set up too close to a right of way and said that when a police officer showed up, he helped them move their tent farther away from the road.

“In a way, it was satisfying,” Tobler said of the police being called. “We knew then that we were really getting under their skin.”

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Data center adds to Augusta Township development concerns

Commenters at Tuesday’s meeting mentioned multiple projects occurring in the largely rural township that they argue are compromising their quality of life. These include a recently built Federal Bureau of Investigation gun range and a 1,000 acre solar farm, part of which is located in the township.

Dale-Lin Mallonen told trustees the data center, solar farm, and new housing developments are undermining the township’s rural character. Mallonenen ran unsuccessfully for township trustee in 2016 and 2020. 

“I have great concerns, and I hope you do too, about what is happening in this township and how it changes the character of this township forever,” she said.

Township residents previously told Planet Detroit that data centers could exacerbate problems with energy reliability and increase energy and water costs.

A July report from the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy found data centers can drive up energy demand, leading to price hikes, and pass on the costs of infrastructure upgrades needed for development.

Gonczy previously told Planet Detroit the data center would provide millions in taxes annually, which would be split between the township, county, and schools.  

John Sellek, spokesperson for project developer Thor Equities, said the data center represents a “tremendous opportunity” for Augusta Township.

“From improving roads, bridges, and public safety, to strengthening resources for our children’s future, this investment offers solutions for challenges the township has faced for years,” he said.

It’s too late for the ballot initiative to make it onto the November election, according to Gonczy. The township board could approve a special election for May 2026, or the ballot question could be included in the August 2026 primary election, she said.