Townships Must Move Quickly to Protect Local Control from Data Center Pressure

Townships across Michigan are facing a new level of development pressure—far beyond what we saw during the early waves of wind and solar siting. Industrial‑scale data centers are now targeting rural communities, bringing enormous demands on local infrastructure, emergency services, utilities, and land‑use systems. These proposals often arrive strategically packaged to limit your regulatory options, and they are increasingly backed by state‑level actions that weaken township authority.

For nearly 30 years, Michael Homier has been on the front lines defending township self‑governance. From major land‑use litigation to the drafting of some of the most protective zoning regulations in the state, Michael has dedicated his career to ensuring that local control stays local. Today, as data center development accelerates across Michigan, he is once again leading the response.

Michael is supported by a highly experienced municipal practice team, including Laura Genovich, whose work with townships across the state brings deep knowledge of municipal governance, land‑use law, and the practical realities boards and commissions face. Together, Michael and Laura are helping townships prepare for the next generation of industrial pressure before it reaches their borders.

Why Townships Must Act Now

Data centers are not ordinary commercial uses. They can involve:

• Uninterrupted megawatt‑scale electrical load and new substation infrastructure
• Extensive diesel‑generator farms with fuel storage, emissions, and testing impacts
• Significant cooling systems, including water use, blowdown, and heat‑rejection challenges
• Continuous mechanical and electrical noise
• Heavy construction traffic, logistics impacts, and road degradation
• Heightened security and fire‑suppression requirements

Without proactive zoning updates, townships risk losing the ability to impose meaningful standards—or may find themselves reacting to a fully engineered application designed to sidestep local authority.

How Michael Homier, Laura Genovich, and the Foster Swift Team Can Help

We assist townships in:

• Enacting interim moratoria to pause applications while zoning protections are strengthened
• Developing data‑center‑specific zoning standards that are technically sound and legally defensible
• Establishing clear performance limits for noise, emissions, energy load, cooling systems, traffic, lighting, and security
• Ensuring compliance with the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act and building a strong administrative record
• Preparing for and mitigating state preemption risks, including those arising from PA 233

Your township’s residents rely on you to safeguard the community’s character, safety, and long‑term vision. The strongest way to do that is by ensuring your zoning ordinance is ready before a developer brings a proposal to your door.

If your township would like a briefing, ordinance review, or immediate assistance, Michael and Laura are ready to help.

For nearly three decades, Michael—along with skilled municipal practitioners like Laura—has helped townships stand firm in the face of outside pressure. With industrial data centers now reshaping the development landscape, that leadership is more important than ever.