LOWELL TOWNSHIP, Mich. — More than 100 people filled the Lowell High School Performing Arts Center Monday for a township board meeting, voicing concerns about the proposed Microsoft data center off I-96 — despite the project not being on the official agenda.
"A data center is not what we want!" said Nicole Ronda, drawing cheers from the crowd.
One neighbor questioned the economic benefits, asking why the community couldn't pursue alternatives.
"Why not something that benefits us. Retail, manufacturing, places that we can go to work that are local," he said.
Lowell Township and the City of Lowell say the data center could generate millions in property tax revenue if approved. However, neighbors raised concerns about potential impacts on water rates, energy costs, and the environment.
"While you're looking at dollars and cents, we're looking at health, we're thinking about our bills at home, we're thinking about the possibility of whether we're going to be able to maintain our homes, our livelihoods, the health of our neighbors, the mental health of our community, as well as how our community will also be eroded by an AI data enter," said Betsy Lopéz Wagner.
Not everyone opposed the project outright. One neighbor urged the community to consider the economic opportunities.
"Ideally for us, nothing would be there right, it'd be farm land and it would be great and it would be there until we're pushing up daisies right," she said, "I'm just saying give it a chance because you know what, if nobody else is going to have it, we aren't going to have any money."
The comment drew boos from the audience.
Throughout the meeting, residents repeatedly cited transparency concerns as a major issue.
"The real problem I have of this is there's a real lack of transparency. We're already behind the 8 ball on water," Jim Turner said.
Earlier this month, Microsoft revealed itself as the company behind the project in a letter to the township, stating they believe transparency is important but don't have all the answers yet.
While no decision has been made on the proposal, residents say they plan to continue attending meetings and speaking out as discussions progress.
The next planning commission meeting is scheduled for February 9.
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