After more than three hours of public testimony on Thursday evening, Washington Township planning officials voted to postpone their decision on rezoning land for a proposed data center and technical campus, citing the volume of resident feedback and the need for further review.

The meeting drew a large turnout in the township, located about thirty-five miles outside Detroit, with more than one hundred seventy email responses submitted ahead of the hearing.

Most residents opposed the rezoning request, expressing concerns about potential high energy and water demands, noise and light pollution, and threats to the township’s rural character and groundwater protection.

Developers with Prologis, the San Francisco-based real estate company seeking the Industrial Research Technology designation for the site, were informed by a township attorney shortly before the meeting that their application must transition from a conditional rezoning to a traditional rezoning process.

Officials said this shift and the extensive public commentary warranted additional time for analysis before a recommendation can be made.

The 312-acre parcel under consideration, once home to a golf course and farmland, is part of broader efforts by Washington Township to attract industrial and commercial business to strengthen economic growth and job creation, but community opposition has highlighted a divide between development priorities and preservation of local character.

Township planning officials noted that although the land is serviced by municipal water and wastewater infrastructure, data center construction could strain regional resources if not managed with advanced cooling systems such as dry air or closed-loop systems that minimise water usage.

Residents raised questions about the township’s capacity to enforce environmental and public health safeguards, with some suggesting the current master plan lacks sufficient protections against industrial impacts.

Prologis representatives said they remain in early discussions with township officials to better understand expectations before advancing concrete plans, including specifics on energy and water usage.

The postponement delays any recommendation to the Washington Township Board of Trustees, which would be the next step in the rezoning process and would require an additional public hearing before land use approval could be considered.

The outcome of this debate will shape future industrial development in the township and could influence how communities across Metro Detroit engage with data center proposals in the face of rising technological investment and local concerns.