Overview:
- Saline Township hit with lawsuit after denying rezoning for a Related Digital data center development.
- The township board's decision is an "arbitrary refusal," says Related Digital spokesperson.
- Resident Tim Bruneau says the lawsuit represents "bullying" by a multibillion-dollar corporation.
A developer is suing Saline Township over its decision to deny the rezoning of 575 acres for a large data center.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in Washtenaw County Circuit Court by Saline Township landowners and a LLC affiliated with the project’s developer, Related Digital, alleges the township’s refusal constitutes exclusionary zoning barred by the Michigan Constitution.
This occurs when “a community unreasonably excludes a legitimate land use,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction “preventing the township from interfering with plantiffs’ proposed reasonable use of the property” for the data center development.
The township board voted 4-1 last week to deny the rezoning of 575 acres of agricultural land to allow for the project to be built. The data center development would comprise 250 acres of the property, which is located north of Michigan Avenue. Residents who made public comments at the packed meeting largely opposed the data center.
Related Digital is a data center development and investment platform platform launched earlier this year by Related Companies, a real estate firm that says it has over “$60 billion worth of development and acquisition activity.” The founder of Related Companies is prominent University of Michigan donor Stephen Ross.
Township attorney Fred Lucas didn’t say whether the township plans to fight the lawsuit. The township previously won some concessions in negotiations with Related Digital, he told Planet Detroit.
The concessions include promises to not use a water-intensive system for cooling servers, and to purchase a decommissioning bond to cover the cost of tearing down the facility and returning the land to its previous condition if it’s no longer in use, he said.
Saline Township Clerk Kelly Marion said she was still reviewing the lawsuit when reached by phone and referred questions to Lucas.
Related Digital spokesperson Natalie Ravitz told Planet Detroit in a statement that the board’s decision is an “arbitrary refusal to permit a legitimate and economically feasible land use,” and it denied residents “the autonomy to execute a reasonable development choice for their private property.”
Related Digital still hopes to come to an agreement with the board so the project can move forward, she said.
Saline resident: ‘We need to fight for our township’
The township fire department and emergency responders are not adequately prepared for the project, and it conflicts with the township’s master plan, Treasurer Jennifer Zink said last week.
“The demand of data center development is regional,” Zink said. “There is no specific demand for a data center development in this township.”
Several other data centers are being proposed in Washtenaw County, including in Augusta Township and Ypsilanti Township.
Grassroots groups are organizing against the developments, raising concerns about the facilities’ potential to impact local water resources, create air pollution with backup generators, and contribute to energy reliability problems on account of their large power demands.
Backers of the Saline Township project say it could bring significant tax benefits.
The project would quadruple tax revenue for the township, providing money for Saline schools, Related Digital CEO Brent Behram said during last week’s board meeting.
In its lawsuit, the developer said “probably the most important and unique” aspect of the proposed data center site is the fact that multiple 345-kilovolt electrical transmission lines with unused capacity sufficient for the project run through the property.
Related’s tenant is a large American public company, it said in its proposal, adding that only a handful of companies can lease a project of this size, giving the examples of Microsoft, Oracle, Google, Amazon, Meta, and CoreWeave.
Township resident Tim Bruneau said he wants officials to fight the lawsuit, expressing concern that the data center could use significant energy, drive up ratepayer costs, and potentially generate noise and impact wildlife.
He referred to the lawsuit as “bullying” being carried out by a multibillion-dollar corporation.
“We need to fight for our township and our community to not just be railroaded by big corporations,” Bruneau said.
🗳️ Civic next steps: How you can get involved
Why it matters
⚡ Data centers have large energy and water demands that environmental advocates argue could jeopardize Michigan water resources and state climate goals.
Who’s making civic decisions
🏛️ A lawsuit against the Saline Township board over its denial of a rezoning proposal that would have allowed for a large data center has been filed with the Washtenaw County Circuit Court and assigned to Judge Julia Owdzie.
How to take civic action now
- 📅 Attend Saline Township monthly board meetings.
- 📩 Contact Saline Township board members.
- 🗞️ Read Read Planet Detroit’s data center coverage and recent coverage of Ypsilanti Township and Augusta Township data center proposals.
What to watch for next
🗓️ Hearings and rulings in the lawsuit filed by a data center developer against Saline Township.
Civic impact
🌍 Data centers plans have met opposition in several Washtenaw County communities, Saline Township’s decision shows some elected officials are prepared to block such projects.
MORE PLANET DETROIT REPORTING
Saline Township denies data center rezoning request: ‘Self-imposed environmental catastrophe’
Saline Township officials reject rezoning plan for a data center on 575 acres of farmland. Residents voiced fears over water use, pollution, and energy demands, while supporters highlighted potential tax revenue and community funding.
Can 957 signatures halt a $1 billion data center in Augusta Township?
Residents of Augusta Township rally to submit 957 signatures, aim to let voters decide on the rezoning of land for a data center.
University of Michigan looks at alternative site for $1.2 billion data center as Ypsilanti Township pushes back
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