Submit your questions to the data center developers.
On September 8, 2025, a data center was conditionally approved on an industrially zoned property in Lyon Township. Data centers are permitted uses in the industrial district. Based on thoughtful feedback provided by the community since conditional approval, the Township is compiling a list of these additional questions to pose to Walbridge and Verrus.
This portal will be active beginning January 8, at 5:30 p.m. and remain available until 11:59 p.m. February 8, 2026. Once the portal closes, the questions will be submitted to Walbridge and Verrus. Their answers will be released to the public once received. The Township will evaluate the information provided at that time.
To capture questions from the public the Township is utilizing this third party platform, Social Pinpoint. By submitting questions, you are agreeing to adhere to the Social Pinpoint Moderation Policy.
Previously Asked and Answered Questions
The following are questions that have already been asked and answers provided to reduce repeats. This list will be periodically updated as new information becomes available. All responses provided are based on the information currently available to the Township.
Q: Where is the Project Flex site?
A: The approximately 180-acre site, which is part of the property owned by Walbridge, is on the east side of Milford Road, just south of the Huron Valley Trail crossing and south of New Hudson Drive W. Road access to the site will be from the east, using the Ambassador Parkway West cul-de-sac off of South Hill Road.
Q: Who is the applicant?
A: The property owner, Walbridge, has teamed with a company called Verrus. According to the applicant, “Verrus was founded because the legacy data center model needs to be reinvented to serve as a better partner to communities, utilities, and the environment. Verrus was founded by Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP), a holding company that focuses on next-generation infrastructure that is more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive. As a result, Verrus takes a novel approach to data centers that focuses on benefiting communities by providing compute in a way that can act as a resource, not a strain, to the grid and its customers.” The township does not have a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with the applicant.
Q: What is a data center?
A: A data center is a secure facility that houses computer systems and servers used to store, process and distribute digital information – the backbone of the internet, cloud computing and online services. The proposed project will include 6 buildings for a total of approximately 1.8 million square feet.
Q: Why was the project named Project Flex?
A: Verrus builds a first of its kind data center that is able to reduce/” flex” down its energy consumption when the power grid is stressed. This flexible “demand response” and on-site battery energy storage helps avoid building unneeded new power plants and other costly grid infrastructure that get passed on to rate payers.
Q: What is zoning of the project site?
A: Currently, the property is zoned a mix of I-1 Light Industrial (southern portion) and I-2 General Industrial (northern portion). The property has been zoned for manufacturing/industrial land uses as far back as the Township’s 1957 Zoning Map, when it was zoned M-2 General Manufacturing. Data Centers were approved as principal permitted use in 1992 in both I-1 Light Industrial and I-2 General Industrial districts.
Q: Is “Data Center” a principal permitted use?
A: Yes. Since 1992, “Data Center” has been a permitted use in both I-1 and I-2 Districts. The I-1 and I-2 Industrial Districts allow for a wide variety of manufacturing, processing, freight handling, warehousing, vehicle repair, and other industrial uses by right or by special land use. These districts also allow uses that are not considered industrial, including greenhouses, mini warehouses (also known as self-storage), research labs, general office buildings, commercial recreational facilities, and data centers.
Q: Was rezoning required for Project Flex? When was the project re-zoned from PD to Industrial?
A: No rezoning occurred or was necessary. The applicant did not need to make a request to rezone as the use and the zoning were permitted. This property was never zoned Planned Development.
Q: Why is that the Township Board did not need to approve Project Flex?
A: Site plan proposals for principal permitted uses do not require Township Board approval per the Lyon Township Zoning Ordinance.
Q: Why were neighbors adjacent to the property not informed of this project being on the Planning Commission agenda?
A: As a proposal for a permitted use, a public notice was not required. The Township follows ordinance procedure for noticing of all projects. Data centers are a principal permitted use in both the I-1 and I-2 Districts. Permitted uses are subject to site plan review with the Planning Commission, and the process defined in the ordinance does not include a public hearing. Planning Commission meeting dates are posted on the Township website. All meeting materials and packets were made available prior to the Planning Commission meeting on the Township website, under Documents on Demand. Anyone can sign up for email notifications and enable and receive page updates and notifications for when new documents are added such as agendas, meeting minutes, and packets.
Q: Doesn’t an Industrial Use over 100,000 sq. ft. require a Special Land Use in the I-1 District?
A: Yes, industrial operations are subject to special land use review when larger than 100,000 square feet in size. By definition, data centers are not Light or Heavy Industrial uses per Section 3.02 of the ordinance, therefore are not subject to Special Land Use review.
Q: Is Project Flex located in the township’s wellhead protection area?
A: No, the site does not fall within the Wellhead Protection Overlay District. The boundaries for this overlay area can be found on the Township zoning map.
Q: Will my water be affected?
A: The water requirements are and will continue to be evaluated during the detailed engineering review but are expected to be lower than a typical manufacturing use of the same size. The plan is to connect to the Township’s municipal water system; there will not be private wells associated with this project. The Township and EGLE (Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy) evaluate water system connections to the Township’s public system. According to the applicant, the data center system will consume an expected average of less than 1.5 million gallons annually, equal to about 14 average U.S. households.
Q: Doesn’t a closed loop cooling system still produce contaminated wastewater?
A: The Township Engineer and EGLE review all wastewater connections for compliance. According to the applicant, the facility’s closed-loop water is continuously reused and not discharged to the sewage system.
Q: How much energy will the data center use?
A: DTE is planning a substation to accommodate all energy requirements. According to the applicant, the data center will be grid-interactive, intended to serve as an asset to the grid instead of just an energy consumer. The energy plan is for the site to be powered from the existing regional energy grid and power plants, coupled with on-site battery energy storage intended to reduce facility power needs during periods of peak grid stress. According to the applicant, the plan intends to reduce the requirement for DTE to invest in new generation and transmission upgrades that would ultimately get passed on to rate payers, thus reducing electric rate pressure for residential customers. The data center helps pay for a share of maintaining and improving the existing grid.
Q: How will the data center impact traffic in an already congested area along Milford Road?
A: There are approximately 210 employees anticipated on site during a maximum shift. Those employees will enter and exit the site via Ambassador Parkway West off of South Hill Road. The Township has worked to ensure that whatever use ends up on this site, vehicular traffic directed to the Milford Road and Grand River Avenue intersection is kept to a minimum. Day -to-day traffic for the operating data center will be light and primarily limited to employee passenger vehicles, with limited truck or trailer traffic unlike large industrial or distribution facilities.
Q: What level of noise output is expected from the data center?
A: The data center is required to meet all noise limits of the ordinance; adjacent to residential districts and uses the daytime maximum sound level is 60dB(A), which is the approximate sound level of a residential dishwasher. The applicants note that the primary backup energy source will be on-site battery energy storage systems instead of traditional diesel generators. Diesel generator locations are shown on the site plan but are not planned to be the primary backup power source. The Planning Commission required a sound study as a condition of its approval, which has not been submitted to the Township yet. The applicant noted the study will be submitted in December.
Q: Has potential light pollution from the data center been assessed?
A: This site plan complies with lighting and photometric standards of the ordinance, which include downward shielding of light fixtures and strict lighting limits at all property lines. The landscape plan includes evergreen screening planted on berms of varying heights near the property lines to further limit visual impacts at the property line.
Q: How tall are the buildings, how far are they set back from adjacent properties, and what screening/landscaping will there be to reduce visual impact?
A: The buildings will be 29 feet tall with 17-foot-tall panels in the middle center of the roofs for screening of mechanical equipment. The total height is 46 feet tall. The buildings will be 144 feet from the Milford Road right-of-way, 377 feet from the southern property line, 406 feet from the northern condominium property line, and 652 feet from the eastern property line. The substation limits will be 53 feet from the eastern property line and 84 feet from the southern property line. The project exceeds the minimal setbacks. The landscape plan includes evergreen tree screening on 6-foot-tall berms on the north, east, and west sides of the property, and an evergreen tree screen on a 10-foot-tall berm on the south side of the property.
Q: What is the local investment from Project Flex?
A: The project brings economic benefit through a new and stable tax revenue, infrastructure investment, and long-term operational jobs for the surrounding community. When the campus is fully developed, the project is expected to support up to approximately 210 full-time jobs across six buildings, with continuous operations and long term employment opportunities. Verrus will partner with local employment agencies, universities and trades. The project is expected to generate approximately 1,500–2,000 construction jobs over the course of development.
Q: Is the data center finalized and officially moving forward?
A: The Planning Commission reviewed and approved the site plan at its public meeting in September. There are comprehensive reviews that will take place as part of the final approval process for the data center, during which details will be reviewed for compliance with local ordinances. Concurrently, there are permits from other agencies that are required before construction can begin, including a cleanout of the New Hudson Drain. The Township will hold an informational meeting on January 22 at 7pm at South Lyon East High School. The intent of the meeting is to share details about the project, and to address community questions, and concerns. It is not a decision-making or approval forum.
