Ypsilanti Township officials passed a 180 day moratorium on major electrical infrastructure in a continued effort to pause plans by the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory to build a high-performance computing center. 

The University of Michigan wants to build on a 144-acre area along Textile Road.

Ypsilanti Township officials say they weren’t fully informed about the size and details of the project when the university first reached out.

Ypsilanti Township supervisor Brenda Stumbo says local officials have little say over the University of Michigan’s plans. 

“The University of Michigan doesn’t have to go through local government planning, fire safety checks, or building permits because they’re legally exempt from these rules. They also don’t pay taxes to the communities where they’re located,” Stumbo says. 

Records show the university bought nearly 20 acres at 10221 Textile Road in October 2024 for a “future computing center,” and in June 2025, they bought about 125 acres at 10455 and 10635 Textile Road for more computing facilities.

Township legal advisor Doug Winters said local officials only learned the full scope of the project in July 2025, when the university revealed plans for two large computing centers, including one linked to Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The township’s new pause on construction aims to give officials time to see if current land rules are enough to handle a project of this size, especially since it will need a lot of electrical power.

“Right now, we need to review whether our land-use rules match what this project requires,” Winters said. “We’re doing our homework. A 180 day pause is a reasonable amount of time.”

The university says the first phase of the facility will use about 50 megawatts of electricity, with plans to eventually reach 100 megawatts. The site would have its own substation from DTE Energy. The university argues that the center would use less than one-tenth the electricity of a typical commercial data center and it should be seen as a scientific research facility, not a commercial one.

Town officials are still worried about possible impacts on wetlands, wildlife, the nearby Huron River, noise, heat, stormwater runoff, and nearby neighborhoods.

Lathrup Village is creating a new tree garden as part of a larger effort to keep its mature trees healthy, add more green spaces, and teach residents about how important trees are to the community.

The project is taking place on a triangular piece of public green space that once hosted the city’s first Arbor Day tree planting after the tree committee was formed.

Brandon Wynn, a resident of Lathrup Village is a certified tree expert and chair of the tree committee. He explained that the long-term plan includes planting different types of trees, putting up signs to educate people, and eventually adding benches and space for community activities.

The city is mainly focusing on planting trees native to Michigan, like white oak, swamp white oak, black gum, and American hornbeam.

They are also thinking about including some non-native trees that can handle changing weather patterns and road salt.

Some trees like ginkgo, dawn redwood, river birch, and a donated tulip tree have already been planted there.

Bahm says the community will consider adding a pavilion or pergola, flower beds, shrubs, and evergreen trees. The committee is funding these efforts through grants, donations, and partnerships with the community to gradually develop the arboretum.

Jill Bahm, a planning expert working with Giffels Webster and serving as Lathrup Village’s planning consultant, explained that trees and other green spaces can help manage stormwater, reduce runoff and erosion, and improve air and water quality.

She says that by including the tree committee’s work in the city’s updated master and recreation plans, they can ensure this project fits into Lathrup Village and support future projects and grants.

This story is a part of WDET’s ongoing series, the Detroit Tree Canopy Project.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency seeks to approve a request from Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) to redesignate what qualifies as safe ozone levels in the Detroit region. 

The change would redesignate the region as meeting federal ozone standards after years of strict standards.

EPA Regional Administrator Anne Vogel says the change is partially due to reductions in air pollution. “Redesignations lead to faster and more predictable air permitting processes, while existing pollution controls continue to drive improvements in air quality,” Vogel says. 

Environmental advocates like Nick Leonard disagree. Leonard is executive director of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center.

He says ozone air pollution in the region is still above the health-based standard set by the EPA. 

“It’s been consistently above the air quality standard for the past 10 years,” Leonard says. “The EPA is nonetheless justifying its decision to find that air quality is attaining the standard… because they’re pinning the blame for a few high ozone days on wildfire smoke from the last few years.”

Officials say the change will ease the permitting process for industrial projects, which could help the region’s economy. 

Public comment on the proposal is open until Aug. 27.