Detroit City Council member Gabriela Santiago-Romero is advocating for an interim zoning moratorium to temporarily halt the permitting of new enterprise AI data centers within the city. The proposal, outlined in a Sept. 29 memorandum, seeks an 18-month pause on developments until Detroit establishes formal zoning regulations governing their use. Santiago-Romero, representing District 6, stated this action would provide an “added layer of protection” for residents while the city works to define its policy on data centers.
The requested pause would run until March 17, 2028, effectively aiming for the two-year moratorium that council members previously urged Mayor Mary Sheffield to implement this past spring. Santiago-Romero emphasized the community's anticipation for such a measure, noting, "There are no protections in place and this feels like what I have to do." She added that similar steps have been taken by other municipalities both within Michigan and nationally, including New Orleans, Louisiana; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Denver, Colorado; and Lansing, Flint, and Pontiac in Michigan, to allow time for developing regulatory frameworks.
This initiative follows a March resolution from the City Council, spearheaded by District 3 Council Member Scott Benson. That resolution called upon Mayor Sheffield's office and relevant city departments, specifically the Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department and the Planning and Development Department, to refrain from issuing new data center permits. The resolution aimed to allow the city to fully understand the types, infrastructure demands, and potential environmental concerns associated with data centers before allowing further development. Additionally, advocacy groups, along with state and federal representatives, submitted a letter to the city in July, also requesting the adoption of a temporary moratorium.
Despite these requests, a spokesman for Mayor Sheffield, John Roach, indicated on Friday that the mayor had not yet made a decision on the council's spring request for a moratorium. However, an August 5 analysis by city planner Eric Fazzini noted that while the mayor's office had not formally implemented the moratorium requested by the council, the administration has “effectively paused the permitting of new principal use data centers” as the issue undergoes consideration by various entities, including the City Planning Commission and City Council. The administration did not immediately comment on whether the City Council possesses the authority to unilaterally impose such a temporary moratorium.
Santiago-Romero’s current request is distinct from the ongoing efforts of the City Planning Commission (CPC) to draft a comprehensive zoning policy for data center developments. The CPC began working on an ordinance during the summer, following a series of meetings convened by Council Member Benson, who organized a cross-sector working group. Benson stated that the objective is to have a data center zoning policy approved by the council by December 31. As of Friday, Marcell Todd, director of the City Planning Commission, provided no new updates on the progress of the draft zoning policy.
On Monday, Santiago-Romero clarified that the council itself does not possess the power to impose a moratorium, as that authority rests with the mayor's office. However, she stressed that a temporary pause remains possible if the legislative body approves an ordinance, as the council has the power to regulate through zoning. Such an ordinance, if approved by the council, could still be subject to a mayoral veto.
Santiago-Romero expressed reservations about the prospects of her initiative, mentioning that recent discussions with fellow council members indicated a majority preference for focusing on the zoning amendment already underway with the planning commission, rather than pursuing her proposed ordinance. She also acknowledged that the process for bringing an ordinance to a vote would be more involved than initially anticipated, requiring a rezoning process that would involve the planning commission, public hearings, and review by a council subcommittee, all of which could take several months. "I'm just trying to figure out how to actually do what we said (we wanted to do) since the mayor wasn't going to move forward with a moratorium," Santiago-Romero said.
Council Member Benson reiterated the City Planning Commission's commitment to developing a policy that is “well thought out and defensible” to safeguard residents, particularly given what he described as the “sensitive nature and the litigious nature of that industry.” A planning commission analysis conducted over the summer identified at least six existing data centers operating as a principal use within Detroit. City officials have also previously stated that Detroit is not equipped to accommodate "hyperscale" facilities, which typically require upwards of 250 acres.
Furthermore, the council approved a separate resolution this summer, led by Council Member Mary Waters, which opposed the unrestricted use of Detroit's water resources for cooling data centers without adequate safeguards. This resolution highlighted that data centers consume substantial water for cooling, can place a heavy burden on local infrastructure like water treatment facilities, and may negatively impact aquatic life.
