GAINES TWP., Mich. — Hundreds of neighbors gathered at the South Christian High School auditorium Wednesday night to voice their concerns over Microsoft's request to rezone more than 100 acres of land in Gaines Township for a potential new data center.
The Gaines Township Planning Commission moved the public hearing to the high school to accommodate the large crowd.
Neighbors expressed worries about potential environmental impacts, decreased property values, noise, and increased electricity bills.
"I'm basically here to fight for the community, for our neighbors, for our schools," said Molly Knooihuisen, who lives near the proposed site and worries about the potential noise. "Why would you want to move here to live next to that? Like people might be able to hear it for up to 2 miles, you know? So, yeah, I don't see anything good about it whatsoever."
Neighbor Stephanie Pratt, who lives 150 feet away from the proposed center on 76th and Patterson, shared similar worries about the loss of agricultural land.
"That whole property that they have has been farmed for [the] 10 years I've lived there. Every year they put crops in so now we're losing all those crops," Pratt said.
During the meeting, the township addressed some of the environmental concerns.
"If they're discharging something bad into the air that could affect human health, they have to put some kind of scrubber on it, or limit that to the point where it is no longer a threat to human health. Same thing with water discharges," Dan Wells said.
Microsoft shared a statement regarding the proposed project:
"Microsoft is proud to be a part of the Gaines Township community, and our community-first commitments mean we will pay our own way so our datacenters don't increase your electricity prices, replenish more water than we use, add to the local tax base, and strengthen the community without adding strain to local resources. While we are still in the earliest stages of development for our existing property and the adjacent areas we are seeking to acquire, we are committed to a development approach that would provide a foundation for economic growth, including full-time jobs and direct economic benefits to West Michigan community residents."
Neighbors want the township to place a moratorium on data centers to give leaders more time to consider the proposal.
"Even if we could get a 6-month one, it's just like, you need to take time. And yeah, we're asking our elected officials tonight, stand up for the people. The people are obviously speaking that we don't want this in large numbers. So I hope that they do their job," Knooihuisen said.
No vote was held on Wednesday. The Planning Commission says it will recommend the rezoning of the property to the Board of Trustees. The proposal will go through 2 readings before a final decision is made.
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