Data Centers and Grass Lake: Tracking What's Real

Published Oct. 15, 2026. Last updated: Oct. 15, 2026, 8:39 a.m. ET. This page is updated as new public records and meetings happen. If you have documents or firsthand information, send a tip to Grass Lake Times.

The short answer

No data center has been proposed in Grass Lake Charter Township. As of Oct. 15, 2026, Grass Lake Times has found no public record of a data center application, rezoning request, land deal or named company in the township, and Township Supervisor John Lesinski said Oct. 13 that the township has not been approached (video, 54:05).

What is happening:

• Moratorium: The Grass Lake Township Board adopted a one-year moratorium on data centers on Jan. 13, 2026.
• Ordinance: The township Planning Commission has drafted a data center zoning ordinance. It has not had a public hearing or a final Township Board vote, and no hearing date is set.
• Site study: An Accelerate Jackson study looked at 12 industrial sites in Jackson County, three in Grass Lake Township, and rated the Grass Lake sites poor on water and sewer and okay on electricity.
• Around the county: Several Jackson County townships, including Columbia and Blackman, have adopted their own data center moratoriums.

Grass Lake timeline

Newest first.

• Oct. 15, 2026 (scheduled, 7 p.m.): Planning Commission public hearing on the Master Plan, with a possible recommendation to adopt it. The hearing covers the Master Plan only; the data center ordinance is not on the agenda. (Agenda)
• Oct. 13, 2026: Township Board meeting. (Agenda, full video)
  • "We haven't been approached." Supervisor John Lesinski said data centers "are a hot ticket item out there at this point in time," adding: "We haven't been approached, nor do I think we're going to be approached on one, but I'm glad we're doing a ... ordinance to protect ourselves if one did indeed come." (video, 54:05)
  • Lesinski said "Jackson County is not equipped to handle a mega ... facility" (video, 54:30), and addressed rumors: "there's talk out there that we're doing this data center thing because we've been approached. Nope. Zero. ... We wanted to get ahead of it and that's why we did it." (video, 54:50)
  • Accelerate Jackson industrial site study. The board reviewed an industrial site identification report (video, 51:01):
    • Accelerate Jackson brought in a firm to look at 12 properties across Jackson County, three of them in Grass Lake Township, as possible sites for small industrial parks.
    • Sites were rated mainly on access, sewer, water and electricity, plus location. Grass Lake's drew "good location, but poor on water, poor on sewer, and okay on electricity." (video, 52:20)
    • The Grass Lake sites included a roughly 120-acre farm property, which the consultants suggested might be better used for high-end homes, and the hospital property, described as a better fit for retail than industry. (video, 52:43)
    • The county's focus is expected to be a couple of sites "way on the west side of the county, not here." (video, 53:45)
    • The report has not been posted publicly.
  • A board member said some residents thought the Oct. 15 hearing involved data centers, but "that's going to be down the road." (video, 3:00)
  • Township Supervisor John Lesinski said that after the Master Plan update, "we're going to be working on our zoning ordinances as well." (video, 46:43)
  • No one raised data centers during public comment. (video, 1:08:50)
• Sept. 8, 2026: The board was told the Planning Commission passed a rough draft of the ordinance and that a public hearing date "will be determined." These minutes are unapproved. (Board minutes)
• Aug. 24, 2026: Work session minutes say the revised ordinance "would primarily accommodate smaller-scale data centers, as there is insufficient contiguous land within the applicable zoning area to accommodate large-scale data centers." It goes next to the Township Board. (Work session minutes)
• Aug. 20, 2026: The Planning Commission amended the draft's screening and landscaping rules on a 3-2 vote. Rentfrow, McDougall and Cuddie voted yes; Warbritton and Lucas voted no. Two residents spoke. These minutes are unapproved. (PC minutes)
• Aug. 6, 2026: The township posted a "Websites for Data Center" page with outside links for "Data Center/AI/Energy Information." (Township post)
• July 16, 2026: Township planner Adam Young of Wade Trim reviewed a draft ordinance with the Planning Commission. Battery storage also came up. (PC minutes)
• June 18, 2026: About 10 residents, and later about 12, spoke to the Planning Commission about data centers. The minutes say the commission wants to make the ordinance "as tough as possible without over reaching." (PC minutes)
• June 8, 2026: The draft Master Plan update does not mention data centers. It designates a Highway Commercial/Light Industrial area along the I-94 corridor; industrial land makes up 273 acres, about 0.9% of the township. (Draft Master Plan)
• March 23, 2026: Board members shared Michigan Townships Association data center training materials. (Work session minutes)
• Feb. 26, 2026: Board members shared Michigan Townships Association data center training materials. (Work session minutes)
• Jan. 15, 2026: The Planning Commission discussed the moratorium and cited "concerns about water & electrical usage." (PC minutes)
• Jan. 13, 2026: one-year moratorium. The Township Board noted the township "does not currently have an ordinance regarding data centers" and approved a one-year temporary moratorium so the Planning Commission could write one. The vote was 6-0, with Bednarski-Lynch absent. (Board minutes)

Nearby news: data centers in Jackson County

Newest first.

• Oct. 8, 2026: County Planning Commission. The commission recommended approval of Summit Township's data center zoning amendment. Commissioners discussed limiting tax exemptions for data centers, community benefit agreements and the idea of a statewide moratorium. (Packet)
• Sept. 21, 2026: Columbia Township. The board adopted a 12-month moratorium on data center applications, effective Sept. 29. (Ordinance)
• July 20, 2026: Blackman Township. The board adopted Ordinance 134, a temporary moratorium on data centers. (Public notice)
• March 2026: Norvell Township. Norvell moved toward a moratorium and its own rules; its supervisor said no application had been received. (MLive, Mar. 19, 2026)
• Feb. 11, 2026: Henrietta Township. The board approved an ordinance regulating data centers. (MLive)
• County leaders: County Board Chair Jim Shotwell has called data centers an "inevitable need." He said the county has talked with Consumers Energy about where they would fit best, focusing on brownfields and unused industrial sites. Developers have been described as "kicking tires," but no formal proposal has been reported in the county. Zoning decisions belong to each township, not the county. (FOX 47)

Frequently asked questions

Is a data center coming to Grass Lake?

No proposal is on record. Grass Lake Times has found no application, company or parcel in public records, and Supervisor John Lesinski said Oct. 13, "We haven't been approached." (video, 54:19) (Update after interviews.)

Does Grass Lake Township have a data center moratorium?

Yes. The Township Board approved a one-year temporary moratorium on Jan. 13, 2026, on a 6-0 vote, so the Planning Commission could write rules. The township has not posted the resolution with an exact end date. (Board minutes)

Does Grass Lake have a data center ordinance?

Not yet. The Planning Commission passed a draft, which township minutes say would "primarily accommodate smaller-scale data centers." It still needs a public hearing and a Township Board vote; no date is set. (Aug. 24 work session, Sept. 8 minutes)

Can the township ban data centers outright?

Unconfirmed. Some residents say Michigan zoning law prevents a total ban, so townships can only decide where data centers go. Grass Lake Times is checking this with the township and its planner.

Which Grass Lake sites were studied for industrial use?

Accelerate Jackson's study included three Grass Lake Township sites, among them a roughly 120-acre farm property and the hospital property. They were rated good on location but poor on water and sewer. The report has not been posted publicly. (video, 51:01)

Would a data center affect wells and water in Grass Lake?

Most Grass Lake homes use private wells. Large data centers seeking Michigan's sales and use tax exemption must use municipal water from a public system with available capacity (PA 207 of 2024). The draft ordinance's water rules have not been published.

Would a data center raise electric bills?

Grass Lake is served by Consumers Energy. In November 2025 the Michigan Public Service Commission approved Consumers' terms for customers using 100 megawatts or more, including 15-year contracts, minimum bills of 80% of contracted capacity, collateral and exit fees, meant to keep other customers from paying a data center's costs. (MPSC, Case U-21859)

Which other Jackson County townships have data center rules?

Henrietta Township adopted an ordinance Feb. 11, 2026. Blackman (July 20) and Columbia (Sept. 21) adopted moratoriums, and Summit's zoning amendment was recommended for approval by the Jackson County Planning Commission on Oct. 8. See Nearby news above.

Upcoming meetings

• Thu., Oct. 15, 7 p.m.: Planning Commission public hearing on the Master Plan only, Township Hall, 373 Lakeside Dr. (Agenda)
• Nov. 19: next regular Planning Commission meeting.
• To come: a public hearing on the data center ordinance, date not set. The moratorium was adopted Jan. 13, 2026, for one year; the township has not posted the resolution with an exact end date.

How to weigh in

• Speak during public comment at Township Board or Planning Commission meetings at Township Hall.
• Read the draft Master Plan and comment at the Oct. 15 hearing.
• Send Grass Lake Times a tip or documents.
• More local government coverage: Grass Lake Times news.
• Contact the Zoning Administrator's office: Dan Campbell, 517-522-8464 ext. 130, danc@grasslaketownship.gov.
• Contact the Village of Grass Lake: Village Manager Sabrina Edgar, 517-522-4550 ext. 204.
• Minutes and agendas: Board, Planning Commission, ZBA.

Grass Lake Times uses AI tools to help search public records. A GLT editor checked every fact and link on this page.

Last updated: Oct. 15, 2026, 8:39 a.m. ET.