Town Hall held in Forsyth Township addresses data centers, military presence
State Rep. Bohnak promises to vote for state moratorium on data centers
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FORSYTH TOWNSHIP -- Representatives from Forsyth and West Branch townships and Marquette County met Wednesday night at K.I. Sawyer Elementary School for a town hall on the topics of data centers and a new military presence at the old K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base.
Forsyth and West Branch townships have experienced a proliferation of concerns and rumors recently surrounding the possibility of data centers in their communities. These rumors have been fueled by social media posts, statements from State Rep. Karl Bohnak, R-Deerton, as well as a website put up by businessman Barry Bahrman titled Aeris Energy, advertising Marquette County as "the world's best place to hyperscale."
In response, people have flooded township meetings in both communities over the past few months, despite representatives from both townships stating repeatedly that there have been no bids or proposals to put in data centers in either West Branch or Forsyth.
In response to these concerns, Forsyth Township recently implemented a year-long moratorium on the building of data centers to give them the time to craft a zoning ordinance specific to data centers, similar to the one Negaunee voted to implement earlier this month.
The state of Michigan does not currently allow for outright bans on data centers due to a ban on exclusionary zoning, which bars local municipalities from banning lawful land use when there is a demonstrated need for that land use.
In addition to concerns about the data centers, Forsyth Township has also been the subject of controversy lately due to a June meeting of the Marquette County Board of Commissioners in which the commission voted to obtain information to possibly recommission Sawyer Marquette Regional Airport in part as a U.S. Air Force base. That meeting drew a crowd, many of which expressed strong feelings either for or against the possibility.
Wednesday night's meeting, organized by Forsyth Township Supervisor Steven Kevern, was intended to clear up misconceptions about both data centers and the potential of the military returning to the base and to receive input from community members as to what they'd like to see in a future data center-specific ordinance.
"There are parts of the ordinance that will address both environmental concerns, as far as water, as far as sound, as far as the land around it," said Crystal Carter, Forsyth Township zoning administrator. "There will be sensitivity zones, as far as how far they can be from a school, from a daycare, stuff like that. Those are all possibilities that we can put in our ordinance and we will put in our ordinance, but it is a work in progress.
"Part of the reason we wanted to do tonight was so that we can hear your concerns, and we can look at other ordinances, we can look at what is important in our community and we can make sure that those items are addressed."
The meeting lasted for hours, with Marquette County Commissioner Bill Nordeen expressing concern at a point during the evening that people would be there "until midnight."
Most speakers expressed opposition against data centers, voicing concerns about water use and pollution, energy costs, noise and light pollution, the use of local labor and site remediation upon the hypothetical data centers' closing.
However, in attendance were Barry Bahrman and his wife, Michelle Bahrman, who spoke in support of data centers throughout the evening and generated some heated discussion.
"I will not apologize for trying to bring jobs into this community," said Barry Bahrman, who insisted throughout the evening that a data center at the SAGE Building in Forsyth Township would not increase electricity bills if it drew power from a power plant Barry Bahrman is looking to operate.
"Why not make $12 million in tax bankroll," said Barry Bahrman. "There's a benefit here to the community ... the modern data centers have learned from their mistakes."
Michelle Bahrman later said that if Forsyth Township "fell behind the times," young people would move elsewhere.
"What I don't like is the coercion I hear," said one speaker who identified himself as Adam from Sands Township. "…There's a threat implicit in what (the Bahrmans) are saying, which is 'if you don't let us do this, your kids are gonna leave, and this community is gonna go right down the sh*thole.' That's what they're saying. And that's not true ... The truth is, they're gonna make a lot of money, so they have a vested interest."
"To say something to the gentleman that was up here about us making money, ... if any of you had the same opportunity, wouldn't you do the same thing?" said Michelle Bahrman.
Her comment was responded to by a chorus of "no's" from the assembled audience.
Also in attendance was State Rep. Bohnak, who arrived midway through the meeting and was repeatedly addressed directly by attendees.
"If you don't want a data center, I stand with you on that," said Bohnak.
When an audience member asked him directly if he'd vote for a moratorium on data centers in the state of Michigan, Bohnak replied "at this point I would, yes," and said that he "promised" to do so when prompted by the audience.
Later in the meeting, Bohnak said that "I don't think it should be dictated from the state. I want you to, in your role as communities ... and I think you're doing a good job, you're coming up with ordinances, and that's where I think it should go."
"We don't have the ability to make that local control locally, but you potentially do at a state level," said one audience member, referring to the exclusionary zoning laws which prohibit local communities from banning data centers. "… If you hear from all your constituents, or a majority of them, that we don't want this here, is that something that you can push forward?"
"If there's enough that comes from the rest of the state in the local communities, yeah," said Bohnak, who said that some kind of petition might be necessary.
"It sounds like we need more from the state," said state representative candidate Anna Aho Rink, who was also in attendance. "Whether a statewide moratorium, whether it be some clarification on local ordinances, and maybe what our communities can actually do, and maybe if we are truly about shoring up the power in our local communities, let's put our money where our mouth is: do it.
"Right now, still in the state, there's a law that gives tax breaks to data centers. Why the hell is that still in place? Repeal it."
Carter said that she plans to attend a training session held by the Michigan Townships Association later this month on drafting data center ordinances, and that there will be numerous opportunities for public input between meetings of the Forsyth Township Planning Commission and the Forsyth Township Board before any ordinance is passed.
There was also talk of involving the Forsyth Township Board, Marquette County and the Lake Superior Community Partnership in organizing an informative discussion panel in the county on the topic of data centers, bringing in industry experts.
Nordeen also cleared up some of the confusion surrounding the potential presence of the military at the Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport. Nordeen said that next year, the Selfridge Air National Guard Base downstate will be repaving their runway, and while they do so all of their aircraft will be stored at Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport.
Additionally, Nordeen said that "the Pentagon has been speaking to (Marquette) County about possibly having a military presence here at Sawyer again."
"They haven't confirmed that, but what I envisioned was that being on the west side of the runway, where it's all trees and everything now. We're leaving everything the way it is. We're not going to come back and take those houses."
Nordeen acquiesced that the military could take the housing back through eminent domain, but that they would likely prefer to build new housing, if they came back at all.
"All we know for a fact is that the military is looking at putting a base or two on the northern edge of the United States," said Nordeen.
Annie Lippert can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. Her email address is alippert@miningjournal.net.