Saline Township, a small farming community in Michigan, reportedly voted down a proposed data center twice before a lawsuit from its billionaire-backed developer led to the project moving ahead.
What happened?
A Florida-based anti-data-center grassroots advocate broke down the situation in a now-viral TikTok video, explaining how developers landed a deal to develop 575 acres in Saline Township for a 25-million-square-foot data center complex, known to many as "The Barn."
@j_floridadatacenters.org This town voted no twice and got a data center approved anyway. #datacenter ♬ original sound - james
The activist explained that Saline, a town of 2,300 residents, mounted a visible campaign against the proposal, filling public meetings and putting signs across town.
Yet, per the video, both the planning commission and the township board voted against the project, with a 4-1 vote on the board, and the plan was rejected twice.
He summed up the situation, adding that "the town won… for about two days." The dispute then moved into court.
The developer is said to have argued that the township was engaging in exclusionary zoning. The creator added that Saline Township, with an annual budget of just over $1 million, was in no position to absorb the costs of a long legal battle with a billionaire-backed corporation.
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The developer told the town that it could partner with a state university to bypass local zoning, if necessary. Eventually, the township caved, fearing the ramifications of an extended legal dispute.
Saline's community benefits package associated with The Barn is valued at $14 million, which pales in comparison to the development costs of The Barn, of roughly $16 billion, less than a tenth of 1%.
The activist summarized the situation clearly, saying, "So a billionaire sued a farm town of 2,300 people into the ground just so Sam Altman could have more compute power. One resident at the townhall said it best, 'We are not a free nation if billionaires can come in and do this.'"
Why does it matter?
Even when data centers bring investment, they can also place enormous demands on electricity, water, and land. In a rural area, that can mean losing farmland, changing community character, and adding pressure on shared resources.
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The dispute also points to how zoning and legal pressure can leave small local governments with limited leverage over major infrastructure projects.
Commenters on the video also focused on environmental risks. One wrote, "Michigan is my state. We love our great lakes. Please protect our water."
What's being done?
The TikTok creator urged people to get involved before projects reach the point of no return.
"Make sure your developers become aware of this issue before it happens by sending an opposition letter," the advocate said, adding, "We just stopped countless projects inside of Florida and inside of Texas. And the opposition letters work inside of all states."
The dispute also underscores the limits of local action when legal and financial power are lopsided. Communities often need stronger state-level guardrails, more transparent siting rules, and better tools to evaluate whether promised benefits match the costs.
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