Both major party nominees for governor say they would prioritize local voices when considering a request to annex more than 400 acres of land from Vevay Township into the city of Mason for a potential data center development.
The request is currently before the State Boundary Commission, which will make a recommendation to the director of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
Because the process could take more than a year to play out, the future of the annexation request will be decided by the next governor’s administration.
Republican gubernatorial nominee John James told WKAR News the annexation request would fall under his campaign promise to protect local decision making around data center projects.
“The term that you’re using, accurately, is annex,” James said. “At what point in our 250-year history do we think that it’s appropriate for the government of law-abiding citizens to, over their objections, annex – take – their land against their will?
“I would stand up for locals if it is not in their will to have this happen,” James said. “The government of law-abiding citizens should not bully or run roughshod over the will of the people.”
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson said she would also include local voices in the process.
“I’m going to issue a moratorium on data centers upon taking office, so that we can put a pause until we have guardrails in place that will, among other things, protect local communities’ voices in the process, while also protecting our environment, requiring them to own the energy costs that they bring to communities,” Benson said. “And so, those local voices have to be, have to have a say in decisions like this one.”
The land would have to be annexed to connect to city utilities. It would still have to be rezoned before a data center could be officially proposed. Any development proposal would be subject to a local site plan review process.
Residents of both Vevay Township and the city of Mason have expressed opposition to the annexation and potential data center developments.
Mason’s city attorney said in a legal opinion that the city would not have the ability to decline the land if the annexation is approved by the state.
City Council members are working on zoning changes that could place additional restrictions on data centers.
But state law prohibits exclusionary zoning, potentially limiting how far the city can go.
