A Special Meeting of the Dundee Township Board was held Wednesday October 8, 2025. Supervisor Lewis called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. All present recited The Pledge of Allegiance.

 

Present were Trustees: Alana Horkey, Ken Jaworski, Tim Miles, Gary Lazette, Supervisor Roger Lewis, Clerk Karla Ziesmer, Treasurer Lisa Ost. Clerk Ziesmer did roll call.

 

Supervisor Lewis explained that this was an information-only meeting with no votes scheduled, and there would be a presentation from Cloverleaf representatives followed by public comment and board comment.

 

Trustee Miles moved to adopt the agenda. Trustee Jaworski seconded. Motion carried.

 

NEW BUSINESS: Cloverleaf Presentation

Aaron Bilyeu, Chief Development Officer at Cloverleaf Infrastructure, thanked the board for hosting the special session and for rescinding the previous vote on the predevelopment agreement after hearing community concerns. Mr. Bilyeu stated that Cloverleaf is a transparent company, and he would provide contact information at the end of his presentation. He indicated they would send a copy of the presentation to the board and provide written responses to common questions raised during the meeting.

The presentation covered several key areas:

Bottom Line Up Front - Key Commitments

• Transparency: Unlike other projects in the area where developers have hidden behind NDAs or representatives, Cloverleaf pledged to be transparent and directly accessible to the community.
• Community Engagement: Committed to seeking feedback on potential community enhancements.
• Water Usage: Committed that there would be no groundwater wells on-site and water would only be used for domestic purposes, equivalent to an office building with 250 employees. They promised to implement closed-loop cooling systems that would not require ongoing water use after initial filling.
• Noise Concerns: Suggested implementing zoning with a maximum sound level of 70 decibels at the property line, comparable to existing ambient noise from the interstate. Acknowledged concerns about low-frequency noise and committed to addressing those in design.
• Energy Impact: Stressed that Michigan law contains language specifying "cost causation principles" where data centers must pay for any needed transmission lines or generation resources. Committed that rates would not increase for existing customers.
• Light Pollution: Committed to following Dark Sky principles and best practices to limit light spillage.
• Jobs and Revenue: Stated the data center would create 250 direct jobs, with an additional 5-6 jobs created in the community for each direct job.

Site Information

Mr. Bilyeu showed a map of the proposed site, located south of Day Road, east of Ann Arbor Road, extending south to the Chrysler plant. He noted that the northern portion is already zoned industrial, while the southern portion is currently zoned agricultural and would require rezoning.

He argued that the current allowable industrial uses (warehousing, logistics, light manufacturing, coal/petroleum handling, processed food manufacturing) would have greater impact on the community than a data center.

Cloverleaf Business Model

Mr. Bilyeu explained that Cloverleaf develops data center sites which they then sell to hyperscale companies (Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle) or colocation providers. He clarified that they assemble the land, secure planning permissions, and work with DTE on power contracts. The final tenant would likely be one of the top 5 hyperscale’s, but they won't know the end customer until they get through planning permissions and secure power commitments from DTE.

He emphasized that Cloverleaf is US-based and US-funded, and they don't work with Chinese companies or Bitcoin miners.

Conceptual Site Plan

Mr. Bilyeu presented a conceptual plan showing:

• Entry to the site from the west side
• Office building and small warehouse in the northwest corner
• Four data centers north of the creek
• Mechanical equipment placed centrally to minimize visual impact and sound
• Storm water detention ponds at north, east, west, and south portions
• Additional data center to the south with its own retention pond
• Substation tucked away in the south near the Chrysler engine plant
• Transmission lines connecting to an existing 345 kV line just east of the site

Economic Impact

Mr. Bilyeu presented information from the Monroe County Economic Development team estimating:

• Potential property value ranging from $1-2 billion (low scenario) to $8-10 billion (high scenario)
• Property tax abatement of approximately 50% (to be negotiated)
• Significant increases in property tax revenue benefiting various recipients including the community college, library, and special education/intermediate schools
• 250 direct jobs at the data center, with an additional 5-6 jobs created in the community for each direct job

A board member questioned the chart showing tax revenue distribution, noting that the township appeared to receive only a small portion compared to the village. Mr. Bilyeu confirmed that the numbers assumed the property would be annexed into the village.

Path Forward

Mr. Bilyeu concluded by stating that Cloverleaf would remain present and available for community members, engage through community forums and question-and-answer sessions, and work with township and village planning commissions on agreements aligned with community objectives. He emphasized this was a starting point for engagement, with no commitment being asked at this point.

 

PUBLIC COMMENT:

Approximately 25 community members spoke during the public comment period, with the vast majority expressing opposition to the proposed data center. Key concerns raised included:

• Utility Costs: Several residents expressed concern about potential increases in electricity bills despite assurances to the contrary.
• Water Usage and Environmental Impact: Many residents questioned the impact on Dundee's water treatment plant, which they claimed is already stressed, and raised concerns about potential contamination from the closed-loop cooling system.
• Transparency: Multiple residents expressed frustration with the process, claiming township officials had been meeting with Cloverleaf for months without adequately informing the public.
• Community Character: Many speakers stressed they moved to Dundee for its small-town rural character and do not want to see industrial development of this scale.
• Trust Issues: Several residents expressed skepticism about promises made by Cloverleaf, citing examples of other developers who failed to follow through on commitments.
• Infrastructure Concerns: Questions were raised about the impact on roads, especially Ann Arbor Road, and whether the volunteer fire department could handle emergencies at such a facility.
• Farmland Preservation: Multiple speakers questioned why good farmland would be converted to industrial use when brownfield sites elsewhere could be redeveloped.
• Job Quality: While union representatives spoke in support of the construction jobs, other residents questioned whether the long-term jobs would benefit local residents.

Union representatives from IBEW Local 8 and others spoke in favor of the project, emphasizing the high-quality construction jobs it would create and suggesting that a data center would have less environmental impact than other potential industrial uses for the property.

Some residents called for a moratorium on data center applications and requested that any decision be put to a public vote. Several stated they would work to remove officials who supported the project.

 

Throughout the public comment period, Supervisor Lewis had to intervene several times to maintain order when audience members interrupted speakers or became disruptive.

 

Additional board comments:

• Treasurer Lisa Ost expressed frustration with how the process had been handled, stating she was "highly displeased with the timeline of the data center and how it was handled." She noted that information seemed to have changed frequently, and she had to find out about township business through social media rather than proper channels. She apologized to residents who came expecting an open Q&A session with Cloverleaf, which had been changed at the last minute, and urged the board to be more transparent.
• Trustee Tim Miles stated that he was neither for nor against the project at this point but was seeking facts rather than "fiction." He expressed skepticism about information found on the internet, saying he had investigated claims about electricity rate increases and found them to be unsubstantiated. He described visiting a data center in Jerome, Ohio, and finding it "whisper quiet" at 43 decibels. He also stated that he had confirmed with the facility that they employed around 200 people, not just a handful as some had suggested. Jaworski, who lives on Ann Arbor Road near the proposed site, expressed concern about the types of industrial use that might go there if not a data center, stating he would prefer high-paying jobs with minimal infrastructure impact rather than distribution centers or manufacturing.
• Trustee Alana Horkey spoke about the frustration she has experienced with communication about the project. She mentioned giving some grace to the local newspaper editor regarding meeting date changes, noting that dates, times and locations had been changed multiple times, making it difficult for officials who work full-time elsewhere to keep track. She stated her commitment to protecting the community while also trying to gather enough information to avoid potential lawsuits.
• Supervisor Lewis stated that everyone at the township has been working hard, gaining "a whole lot of extra work and a whole lot of extra headaches." He assured residents that the board was listening and would take all input into consideration while acting within legal parameters. He emphasized that the board's intention was to do what is good for the township.

 

Throughout the board comment period, there were several interruptions from the audience, with Supervisor Lewis repeatedly calling for order.

 

 

 

 

Trustee Jaworski motioned to adjourn the meeting at 8:37 p.m. Treasurer Ost seconded. Motion carried.

 

The next meeting will be October 14, 2025, at 7:00PM. 

 

 

Attested:                                                                       Respectfully Submitted,

Roger Lewis                                                                  Karla Ziesmer

Dundee Township Supervisor                                       Dundee Township Clerk

 

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