SPARTA, Mich. — The Sparta Village Council unanimously voted Monday night to amend its zoning ordinance to include a definition for data centers, a move officials say will give the village more control if a data center is ever proposed.
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Village Manager Jim Lower said there are currently no plans to build a data center in Sparta, but the village wants to be prepared.
Lower said there is speculation that developers are looking at the former rodeo grounds property on 13 Mile near M-37 as a potential location for a data center.
"We don't have a data center proposal, but we would like to be prepared," Lower said.
The village held two meetings on Monday night to discuss changing the ordinance language. Currently, without a specific data center language, a data center would have to be treated as a warehouse under existing zoning rules.
During the meeting, Sparta residents were given a chance to comment on the issue. Several neighbors expressed concerns about the proposal.
"I do worry about the fact that we are essentially advertising. We may be open for business for a data center by having this. I understand what the village is attempting to get out in front of it," one resident said.
Another resident suggested amending the proposal: "I would encourage the board to consider amending the current proposal, to strike the part where it would be added as a permitted use under Section 822, 52, 524, permitted uses in the B district, and consider instead adding it as a not permitted use. If that's a thing."
A third resident expressed strong opposition: "I appreciate you guys trying to get out in front of it, because we need to. Nobody wants this. Nobody wants this in our community, communities where they're at. It's a disaster."
After hearing from residents and discussing the issue, the village council voted unanimously to add the definition of data centers to the zoning ordinance.
Village President Robert Whalen said the change is beneficial for Sparta.
"If a data center comes forward with a proposal, the village, by passing the ordinance amendment, will be able to evaluate it for what it is, a data center. Without it, we're just going to have to evaluate it as a warehouse," Whalen said.
During the council meeting, some members asked if they could write language to have a temporary moratorium on data centers. The village manager said he would have an answer at the next council meeting.
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