The Microsoft community events were open-house, show-and-tell style with tables, posterboards and experts arranged around the room.
Scientists, engineers, and community partners explained details and answered questions on datacenter basics, design, environmental and economic impacts.
“Big corporations aren’t well known for caring about their local neighbors if their headquarters is a thousand miles away.”
John lives in Dorr Township where a datacenter is under consideration.
He attended the event in Gaines Township concerned about how Microsoft’s cooling systems could affect the local water table.
“Now there’s a closed system planned that seems to deal with that, so I wanted to know how does that work and how much water gets used.”
Sue Sarver lives in Gaines Township right across the street from the proposed site off Patterson Avenue.
“Where are they going to enter and exit? I’d prefer not to have a driveway into my house. Also, we’re concerned how they’re going to mitigate the building itself for us having to look at it.”
Sarver remains skeptical, saying much of the plan is still unknown,
“Because we hear all these things, they say it’s not going to change which I really and truly do not believe.”
Microsoft is expected to present a proposal to rezone its Gaines Township property later this month.
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