Saline MI
9-19-2025 3:07pm

Related Digital, Landowners Sue Saline Township for Rezoning Denial

The developer of the proposed data center and the property owners are suing Saline Township for denying their rezoning request for a data center.

RD Michigan (Related Digital), Feldkamp Siblings LLC, Dennis and Lynn Feldkamp, Wilkin Farm Properties 1, LLC, and Dennis and Alice Wilkin are suing the township in Washtenaw Circuit Court. The suit was filed on Wednesday.

Saline Township denied the rezoning earlier this month in front of a packed township hall that was overwhelmingly opposed to the data center. The board voted 4-1 against the rezoning.

Residents cited noise, depletion of water wells, potential electricity shortages and other issues.

The plaintiffs called the decision exclusionary zoning seeks to challenge the township's decision, calling it a "violation of due process of law." They are demanding that the courts declare the township's actions unlawful, issue an injunction to allow the data center project, and grant additional relief.

We reached out for comment from Saline Township attorney Fred Lucas and Related Digital.

Company spokesperson Natalie Ravitz sent us this:

“Related Digital, together with all three of the Saline Township landowners, filed a complaint arising from Saline Township’s denial of the application to rezone 575 acres of land from Agricultural to Industrial Research. The Board’s actions constitute an arbitrary refusal to permit a legitimate and economically feasible land use. The Board’s decision also denies these Saline residents the autonomy to execute a reasonable development choice for their private property; a choice which they steadfastly believe is in the best interest of their future and the future of the Township. It is still our hope to come to a reasonable agreement with the Board so that this important project can move forward and in a way that benefits Saline Township for generations to come.”

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9-19-2025 10:00pm

The Saline Township Board voted against the rezoning because of the facts and the undeniable negative impact on the entire area. Saline Township residents spoke up. They (we) do not want the Data Center, period. The family is not listening to their neighbors. Sure seems to be all about the money and not the greater good. What a shame. 

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9-21-2025 7:51am

Council made the right decision. The land is not zoned for this use for good reason and the homeowners and corporation should have no expectation that zoning would be changed to the significant detriment of EVERYONE ELSE in the community for their financial profit. Now, as a result of that inappropriate expectation, as so many other cities and townships are these days, the citizens of Saline will have to divert taxpayer citizen dollars that should be used for other matters that benefit the community to deal with this in the courts. This is a trend, unfortunately, in the US - the good of the whole is never considered in individual decisions and actions. Pulte, Toll Brothers, and other developers of various sorts are aggressively stomping through our communities significantly changing the landscape and draining limited resources for those of us already here for the almighty dollar. Perhaps it is time for city/township administration from multiple areas to band together and begin pushing for legislative change to stop these destructive land grabs and forced rezoning that benefit very few (individual land owner and corporate entity only) and leaves the rest of us behind to deal with the aftermath and destruction of their actions and choices. Enough already. The role of the city/township is to reflect the wishes of all/the majority of citizens and zoning maps are part of that. Why should the courts be able to overrule the long standing plans that reflect that will simply because someone who owns a piece of land that the knew had certain zoning restrictions attacked to it now wants to do something else with it? Want to see a piece of land for development? Then BUY a piece of land zoned for that already. And yes, who was the lone supporting vote? Could not find the vote by Council member in the meeting minutes but maybe just missed it. 

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