Commission tables draft data‑center ordinance after packed public comment session

The Livonia Planning Commission opened a public hearing on a city‑initiated draft ordinance to define and regulate data centers and then tabled the item for further work after extensive public comment and commissioner deliberation. Planning staff said the draft would limit where dedicated data centers could locate (primarily M‑2 industrial districts), introduce size and power thresholds tied to required buffers from residential areas (1,000 feet for centers with 15 megawatts or more; 300 feet for smaller facilities), require closed‑loop cooling to minimize potable‑water use, demand written confirmation of available electrical service, and restrict generators to emergency use only.