Kidder Township held a hearing about a proposed amendment to define and add specific requirements for data centers and data center accessory uses. Although one hour was allotted for the hearing, it was done in under a half an hour with only a few residents signed up to speak.

The ordinance would allow conditional use for data centers in Business District/Light Industrial zoned areas.

The ordinance defines a data center as to “include cryptocurrency mining, block chain transaction processing and server farms.” A minimum lot area of 20 acres is required. Landscape buffers are required and should be at least 25 feet wide. Sound studies are also required.

In reference to water, the ordinance states, “If the use will be served by a public water supply, the applicant shall submit documentation from the public authority, certifying that the public authority will supply the water needed.”

When providing the conditional use application, the applicant is required to provide certification that the necessary power supply is available if connecting to the electric grid.

For the complete 13-page draft, go to the township’s website.

Resident Erika Spott thanked the board for the work that has gone into the ordinance.

She proposed dimensional standards changes, such as setbacks being increased from 500 feet to 1000 feet, landscape buffers from 25 feet to 100 feet, and a closed loop water cooling system noting that “Kidder Township’s water resources are finite.”

Linda Mourar thanked the board for putting the draft together and suggested that environmental impact studies should be required.

Beth Kidder, the founder of “Love Kidder Township,” said, “We are very pleased with the completed draft and having a public hearing. We have some recommendations about this ordinance. It’s very important to us.”

Mel Bach, who has a vast knowledge of water and weather issues, said, “I don’t think we shouldn’t have them (data centers), but we should have them under control.”

Bach spoke about the “dark sky” ordinance, passed while he was on the Planning Commission, and wanted to ensure all lights from data centers are pointing downward.

When a decision is made by the board, the date for the decision will be advertised, which could be by the next township meeting at 6 p.m. on Feb. 26, said Supervisor Chairman Bruce Berger.