Commerce Township board enacts six-month moratorium on data-center land-use consideration

The Charter Township of Commerce Board of Trustees voted unanimously Feb. 10 to adopt a six-month temporary moratorium on land-use consideration of data centers, a pause the board said will give staff and elected officials time to study potential land-use, infrastructure and regulatory implications.

Township Attorney Hans Rentrop introduced the resolution, saying it “will allow the Planning and Building Departments time to review land use consideration of data centers.” The motion passed with no dissent.

Trustee George Weber urged the board to use the pause for education and to set specific milestones. Weber noted two upcoming workshops and said the Planning Commission should review draft recommendations before the board takes further action. Trustee Rick Sovel asked whether a committee would be formed to guide the work; Weber replied that, following the workshops, the board should establish a timeline and Planning Commission review points.

The moratorium applies to new land-use consideration of data centers for a six-month period. The board did not define a specific committee in the meeting but directed staff to pursue educational sessions and return with a proposed timeline and Planning Commission involvement.

Next steps identified at the meeting included staff and trustees attending two workshops on data centers in the coming weeks and scheduling Planning Commission review of draft land-use standards or recommendations during the moratorium period.