Bloom Sluggett attorneys Dave Eberle and Cliff Bloom recently presented at “Data Centers: Where the Cloud Meets Land Use Regulation,” a seminar for local municipal officials hosted by Dorr Township and Professional Code Inspections of Michigan (PCI).
Eberle spoke on building and maintaining public trust in public policy, framing trust as something communities earn through consistent, transparent communication rather than something they can assume once a controversy arrives. Bloom addressed the zoning and regulatory tools municipalities have available when a data center developer approaches, including zoning regulations, moratoria, and development agreements. They were joined by Dr. Sarah Mills, director of the University of Michigan’s Center for EmPowering Communities, who spoke on the technical and economic realities of data center development in Michigan.
Data centers are showing up on more Michigan zoning agendas every year, and communities that prepare early, with good information, clear ordinances, and public trust already in place, tend to be in the strongest position when a proposal arrives. If your municipality is fielding an inquiry or looking to update its zoning ahead of one, our attorneys are happy to talk through what that looks like for you.