Residents speak out against data centers in Caledonia Township

Residents of Caledonia Township told the planning commission on June 15 that they want more time to study the impact of hyperscale data centers before any are allowed in the community. The commission voted to recommend that the Board of Trustees extend a current moratorium on data center development by at least three months.

The meeting drew about a dozen attendees, with roughly half speaking directly against the idea of hosting data centers in the township. There is no specific data center proposal currently pending in Caledonia Township.

"The overall consensus that I could find… is that they have been, to residents, causing disturbance to their communities," said Melissa Cady, a Caledonia resident. "It seems to be especially true to communities within a mile of a data center."

Heat, noise, and light pollution raise concerns

Greg Comegys, a retired aerospace engineer and Caledonia resident, outlined several technical concerns during public comment. He warned that large facilities consuming up to 100 megawatts of power would generate massive amounts of waste heat.

"If you take the 100 megawatts as an output from the cooling system that’s enough heat every hour to heat 3,400 homes," Comegys said. "That’s how much heat that is being released into the atmosphere."

Comegys also raised concerns about light pollution, potential lithium battery fires, and the possibility that quantum computing advances could render current data center designs obsolete. He warned the commission against allowing multiple competing facilities to develop in the township.

John Crissman, another resident, asked the commission to create a citizen committee to educate the public about the ordinance. He also suggested putting the issue of data center development to a community vote.

Citing problems in other Michigan towns

Cady pointed to a data center in Dowagiac as an example of the problems residents face. She told the commission that residents near that facility have reported constant 24/7 noise and buzzing vibrations.

"People with health issues are reporting an increase in their symptoms, an inability to enjoy outdoor activities in their yards, decreased home value because when they try to show their home, the noises are so apparent that people are not interested," Cady said.

Cady stated that residents within a mile of the Dowagiac facility have filed a lawsuit. She provided a copy of the lawsuit to the planning commission during the meeting.

Commission votes to pause

Caledonia Township officials previously approved a six-month moratorium banning data centers through October. During the June 15 meeting, commission member Donovan Visser urged his colleagues to take more time to review information before making a final decision.

"For me, understanding that we can’t just say ‘no data centers,’ that’s just not a possibility," Visser said. "So as we structure this, if we have some time to keep considering this, updating it, making sure we are where we need to be, and take our time… it makes sense."

The commission voted to recommend extending the moratorium by a minimum of three months. The Board of Trustees has not yet voted on the recommendation.

A statewide trend

Caledonia Township is not alone in pausing data center development. According to a tracker maintained by Baldori Law, several Michigan townships have adopted moratoria or are reviewing zoning ordinances to address data centers. Solon Township in Kent County published a draft zoning amendment regulating data centers in February 2026. Lenox Charter Township in Macomb County adopted a moratorium in February 2026.

Michigan law does not allow municipalities to permanently ban data centers through exclusionary zoning. However, townships can adopt temporary moratoria to study the impacts and write specific regulations covering setbacks, noise, water usage, and decommissioning requirements.