Gaines Township Attorney Clifford Bloom, closest to camera, seated next to township Community Development Director Dan Wells, with Township Manager Rod Weersing standing behind them at the Dec. 18, 2025, planning commission meeting. Photo: Photo by: James Gemmell
GAINES CHARTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Overflow crowds of concerned citizens continue to show up for public hearings on proposed data centers in West Michigan.
A hearing scheduled for December 8 in the Lowell Charter Township Hall was canceled due to overcapacity. And on Thursday night, the Gaines Township planning commission postponed a hearing concerning a request from Microsoft to rezone 41 acres from a planned unit development designation to light industrial. That would allow Microsoft to potentially build a data center at 7147 Patterson Avenue, roughly halfway between 68th and 76th streets. That is just south of the Amazon Fulfillment Center
Township Attorney Clifford Bloom announced that, under fire code and Michigan Open Meeting Act regulations, the more than 250 people who turned out for the monthly planning commission meeting exceeded the maximum allowed. Most of them were there for the public hearing on the Microsoft request.
The planning commission said it is considering holding the public hearing on Feb. 12 in the South Christian High School auditorium, if it is available on that date. That was not confirmed at press time. An alternate date would be Feb. 10. The hearing would be part of a special meeting dedicated strictly to the rezoning issue. Commissioners are considering holding that meeting at 6 p.m. instead of the usual 7 p.m. start time for their meetings.
During the Public Comment period of the regular meeting, one citizen who said he does not reside in Gaines Township told the planning commission he is concerned about data centers, nonetheless.
"This is a multi-trillion-dollar corporation that is owned by billionaire shareholders who are hungry for one thing, and one thing only - profit," Andrew Czonka said. "They will walk you like dogs across the park and get whatever you want. And we're going to be hopeless to stop them."
Nicole Ronda also addressed the planning commission.
"We are looking at least six proposals for this in Kent County, alone," she said, "with multiple of those being super-data centers. These super centers are estimated to currently utilize over 500,000 gallons of water a day."
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