Kalamazoo Township is preparing to give itself a year to write rules for data centers and battery energy storage systems before either is allowed to move in.
The Board of Trustees gave first readings to two ordinances at its July 13 meeting, both aimed at land uses the Township doesn’t currently have standards for. A first reading doesn’t put anything into effect, it moves an ordinance forward for a formal adoption vote, scheduled for both of these at the Board’s July 27 meeting.
Ordinance No. 647 would place a one-year moratorium on accepting data center applications. According to notes read into the record by Supervisor David Combs, Michigan has become an attractive location for data centers in part because of its underground water access, but data centers remain largely unstudied as a land use at the municipal level, and the Township doesn’t currently permit them at all. The moratorium is meant to give officials time to study the impacts and develop standards before any applications come in; it could be shortened or extended once adopted, depending on how quickly that work gets done.
Ordinance No. 645 would do something similar for battery energy storage systems, which, like the large-scale solar and wind projects they’re often paired with, require significant land area to build. The notes cited public sentiment in other Michigan municipalities as part of the rationale for pausing development locally while the Township figures out what regulations, if any, are needed.
Both ordinances passed their first reading on voice votes with no discussion beyond trustees noting the ordinances reflected thinking the board, planning staff, and superintendent had all arrived at independently. Trustee Colleen Leonard, who later attended a county information session on the same topics, said she was glad the board had moved the ordinances forward, adding that the extra time would let the Township be more thoughtful before considering future investment in the community.
