Comstock Township’s Planning Commission began reviewing a sample data center zoning ordinance October 22. A moratorium on data centers remains in effect.
The commission took no votes. It went through the first-version sample ordinance section by section and set up outside presentations to inform the next round of changes. Officials said they are not aware of any data center proposal in the township.
How the sample ordinance is built. Data centers would be treated as an industrial use and would need a special land use permit, which requires a public hearing. The sample would be adapted to the township’s own zoning districts, which the discussion noted are called manufacturing districts. It defines “sensitive land uses,” including schools, child care and care facilities, campgrounds, parks and homes, and it sets distance requirements from them. Commissioners suggested adding hotels to that list and asked staff for a map showing how the distances would affect the township’s industrial areas.
Topics it covers. The sample addresses noise, vibration, lighting, cooling and water use, power use, backup generators, emergency and fire response plans, environmental impact analysis, and decommissioning. The decommissioning section aims to leave a building that can be reused for another purpose.
Commissioner suggestions. Commissioners asked about requiring a connection to municipal water, requiring a data center to show how it would supply its own power without straining the local grid, and requiring continuous sound monitoring paid for by the developer. The township attorney said Michigan law generally does not allow townships to charge impact fees. He said the special land use process can require items tied to public health and safety, such as monitoring equipment. Commissioners also raised whether a minimum tax payment could be negotiated. The attorney said he would look into it.
Legal context. The township attorney told commissioners that the township cannot simply prohibit data centers everywhere without risking an exclusionary zoning challenge, and that the township would need to show what areas are or are not suitable. He said the moratorium can be extended, and the commission would recommend an extension to the Township Board, which would act on it. He also said a first version should be expected to change.
Next steps. Planning staff will contact the county health department, firms that do sound studies, Kalamazoo’s public works department about water capacity, and Consumers Energy about possible presentations. The remaining sections and the application process will come back at a future meeting.
