VAN BUREN TWP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Residents in a Van Buren Township neighborhood say they are living with constant noise and disruption as utility construction tied to a planned Google data center ramps up behind their homes.
Anne Leischner's house backs up to the I-94 service drive near Van Buren Street. She says construction equipment and loud noise started appearing behind her home on Monday.
"It's not a pretty view, it's a disruption, it's ugly," Leischner said.
The construction is connected to a Google data center being developed north of I-94 between Haggerty Road and 275. Work is running 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., 6 days a week.
"I don't want this here, I don't want to be this close to it cause the data center is going to be right down there," Leischner said.
Leischner and her neighbors are also questioning when the construction will end.
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Ron Akers, the Municipal Services Director for Van Buren Township, said the work on the service drive is being performed by ITC, an independent electricity transmission company, and is expected to last at least until the end of the year.
"ITC is doing road work to run the electrical infrastructure to the data center project at Haggerty and I-94," Akers said.
When asked what the township has to say to residents who are backed up to the service drive and dealing with the noise and equipment in their backyards, Akers said the township has been engaged with ITC throughout the process.
"The township has been working with ITC to make sure that they're complying with the township's construction hours and that they're being respectful," Akers said.
Akers added that construction has also begun on the main site of the data center.
Leischner, who previously voiced her opposition at township meetings, said the proximity of the work caught her off guard.
"I went to the township meetings and opposed the data center and let them know my feelings on it and I never suspected that it was going to be going on right here literally in my backyard," Leischner said.
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