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Residents urge Kalkaska County commissioners to rescind support, demand vote on proposed data center
Summary
Scores of residents, and a remote county official, told the Kalkaska County Board of Commissioners they oppose a proposed data center and called for the board to rescind a March letter of support, seek independent impact analysis and let voters decide.
Scores of residents told the Kalkaska County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 19 that a proposed data center would harm local resources and that the board should withdraw a prior letter of support and give voters a voice.
During a lengthy public-comment period, speakers raised concerns about environmental harms, tax-exemption practices that could reduce local revenue, noise and health effects and broken promises by developers. Commissioner David Persons told the board he had attended a Garfield Township meeting on the topic and requested information on where public commenters reside.
Multiple residents asked the commissioners to rescind the board’s earlier letter of support and to require independent impact studies before allowing discussions to proceed. Logan said, “requesting no data center anywhere and to stop further AI.” Drain Commissioner Seth Phillips, participating by Zoom, told the board he had emailed questions and warned the board that local control over such projects is limited while energy and resource demands would be substantial.
Board members did not take formal action on the data center at the Nov. 19 meeting; Chair Kohn Fisher noted the item was not on the agenda and that preplanning would be expected if the board were to formally consider the matter. Public comment concluded at 6:47 PM and the meeting briefly recessed before continuing with other agenda business.
