Van Buren Township Planning Commission votes 5-1 to approve final site plan for Google data center near I-94

The Van Buren Township Planning Commission voted 5-1 on Wednesday, Oct. 14, to approve the final site plan for Project Cannoli, a Google data center planned on 282 acres east of Haggerty Road and north of Interstate 94 in Wayne County.

The approval allows developer Panattoni to begin utility installation, site improvements, and preparation of the land, according to Ron Akers, the township director of municipal services. Panattoni partner Adam Kramer said at the meeting that the company hopes to break ground before the end of 2026.

The site plan approved this week is the same as the preliminary plan approved in February, according to township planner Lauren Sayre. Project Cannoli includes five buildings, three of which will be data processing buildings ranging from 87,000 to 300,000 square feet, according to township planning documents. The facility is projected to use between 2 million and 3.6 million gallons of water daily and 1 gigawatt of power. It is expected to employ 50 to 200 people, according to Kramer.

Before the vote, nearby residents spoke against the project, citing dust, construction noise, and concerns about property values, sound levels, and utility use.

Ashley Shukait, a 40-year-old resident who lives near the site, said construction crews have been working behind homes from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. six to seven days a week and that dust has been entering residents' homes since August.

Maggie Brumar, 26, another nearby resident, said dust from the work has covered her patio furniture, satellite dishes, and windows.

Commissioner Jeffrey Jahr voted to approve the plan and said the commission's role was to determine whether the construction proposal complies with existing law and township ordinances.

"Our job as planning commissioners is to verify if construction is in line with the law, that it's in line with the ordinances that we have at the time, that the applicant applies," Jahr said. "That's what we've been asked to check out."

Jahr also noted that Panattoni entered into an operational agreement with the township to address issues outside the scope of the Planning Commission.

Township supervisor Kevin McNamara said in an interview before the vote that the township had little choice but to consider the data center because it meets zoning requirements. McNamara said Van Buren Township zoned data centers into industrial areas after the township already had one of the largest data centers in the state, a J.P. Morgan Chase facility, and another one across the street.

McNamara said the township held roughly 40 public meetings over 10 months and negotiated agreements with Google covering water rates, backup generators, and power supply.

Under the agreement, McNamara said Google will cover any increase in water rates for residents and businesses if the data center causes them to rise. He said the company originally proposed 150 generators for power outages but agreed to 24 generators that can operate for only three hours during an outage before shutting down. He also said the facility will be fed by two separate power lines from different sources.

Fishbeck consulting engineer Paul Kammer told the commission that the water used by the data center will not draw from the township's system.

Kramer said Panattoni has worked with residents for three years and held community engagement events. He said the project would include green space and thousands of trees planted on the property.

Kramer also said the project would benefit the local economy and estimated that more than 9 million construction hours would be awarded to local contractors.

The approval follows a separate dispute at the county level over tax incentives. The Wayne County Commission had to override a veto from County Executive Warren Evans to approve tax incentives for the data center. Evans, who rarely uses his veto power, said he felt Google was rushing the county to approve the incentives.