SPARTA, Mich. — The Village of Sparta is moving forward with plans to update zoning language to include standards for data centers, following growing concerns about such facilities across the state.
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Village Manager Jim Lower said that currently, there are no plans to build a data center, but he wants to be prepared in case a proposal comes forward.
"With all the activity behind data centers, we thought it was important to have a standard and a definition that we could hold them to," Lower said.
Recent data center discussions have sparked community concerns statewide. Lowell Township postponed a December 8 meeting about a potential data center due to large attendance, and another facility is being discussed in Washtenaw County.
Lower said he wouldn't be surprised if a data center developer approached Sparta.
"We felt that instead of holding it to a warehouse standard, we should have higher standards for the data centers," he said.
Speculation exists that developers are eyeing the former rodeo grounds property on 13 Mile near M-37 as a potential location for a data center.
"It's been on the market for a number of years and is already in the village. It's already zoned. It butts up to our industrial park. It has the water, the sewer, the electrical," Lower said.
The village manager said updating the zoning language would give the community more control if a data center is proposed.
"This doesn't make it easier for the data center, or harder. It just makes it to where, if they do come forward with a site plan, we can hold it to that standard. So, if anything, I think it really does the things that people want, right? It makes it to where we're going to evaluate the water, the sewer, the electricity," Lower said.
Despite social media rumors, Lower emphasized the village is not conducting any secret activities and maintains transparency about the process.
"You have a government here in Sparta that takes these things very seriously. And you know, if one does get proposed, we're going to evaluate it against a rigorous standard, and we share your concerns, right? We want to make sure that it's done right. If one is going to happen, and there'll be ample time for those questions to be asked and answered by a developer and also by the village itself," Lower said.
The public hearing to discuss and vote on amending the zoning language to include data centers will be held at Sparta Village Hall on Monday, December 15, at 5:30 p.m.
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