Lyon Township residents filled the planning commission meeting Monday evening, for another long night of fiery public comment, as many continue to fight a proposed data center. 

“I moved to the country because I wanted to live in a peaceful place, and so far, it is becoming not peaceful,” said one of the residents during public comment.

In September 2025, the Lyon Township Planning Commission approved a 1.8 million-square-foot, six-building data center on 172 acres off Milford Road near South Lyon, and since then, residents have been fighting to keep that development out of their community. 

“Who wants to live next to a data center? I live within a mile, and nobody wants that. I have a neighbor on 12 Mile (Road), he can’t sell his house, he’s had it for sale since December,” Lyon Twp resident Nancy Hopkins said.  

The project, known as Project Flex, is being developed by Verrus. In late May, an attorney representing Verrus submitted a Final Site Plan response letter arguing the project meets all applicable Planning Commission conditions, township codes, and zoning ordinances. In the letter, Verrus warned the township that if approval is further delayed, they will pursue legal action.

“There is no integrity here, right. They speak about being a good neighbor here, but good neighbors don’t blackmail their neighbors or their township, and that’s what is happening here,” said Melissa Noble.

State Sen. Jim Runestad, who opposes the data center, was one of the dozens to speak during public comment Monday night. Runestad has proposed a one-year moratorium on data centers in the state. 

“This is not in opposition to innovation or economic growth. I support responsible development, but what is happening here in Michigan and in Lyon Twp is not responsible. It is rushed, opaque, and dismissive of the very people this project will most directly affect,” said Runestad.

CBS News Detroit reached out to Verrus and received the following statement: 

“Project Flex has met all applicable township requirements following a comprehensive review process that included extensive studies on water use, noise, traffic, energy, and environmental impacts. Throughout that process, the project team addressed community feedback and incorporated additional measures beyond those required by township standards.

Those studies demonstrated that Project Flex is designed to use 99% less water than legacy data centers, maintain sound levels at or below approximately 50 dB(A) at the property boundary during normal operations, comparable to an office building, and satisfy the energy review requirements established through the township’s approval process.

While we recognize that not everyone supports the project, we are grateful for the support of residents, community leaders, civic organizations, labor partners, and businesses throughout Lyon Township. Project Flex is expected to generate up to $40 million for Lyon Township, up to $265 million for state and local education, up to $35 million for Oakland County, and up to $8 million for regional institutions, including libraries, the Huron-Clinton Metroparks, the Detroit Zoo, and the Detroit Institute of Arts over the first 17 years of the project.”

FLINT, Mich. – On June 8, 1953, disaster struck the north side of Flint and the northern suburb of Beecher when the Flint-Beecher tornado, Michigan’s worst natural disaster in terms of deaths and injuries, tore through the area.

The Flint-Beecher tornado remains the only tornado to strike Southeast Lower Michigan rated F5 on the Fujita scale.

According to the National Weather Service, an F5 tornado produces “incredible damage,” with winds estimated between 261 and 318 mph — powerful enough to level strong frame houses, hurl automobile-sized debris more than 100 meters and debark trees.

The scale of the storm was staggering. At 800 yards wide, the tornado didn’t just destroy homes — it erased entire blocks, entire neighborhoods, entire chapters of people’s lives in the span of minutes. Winds are believed to have exceeded 200 mph.

The tornado traveled 27 miles at approximately 35 mph, killing 116 people and injuring 844 others in its path.

For those in its way, there was little warning and almost nowhere to go.

It stands as the deadliest natural disaster in Michigan history and the 10th deadliest in United States history.

The aftermath

So many people were killed that the National Guard Armory and other buildings were temporarily converted into morgues. More than 100 people — families and friends of victims — waited outside in the rain for hours before they could enter to identify the bodies.

State Police Captain James Berardo warned the people outside that the tornado had horribly battered some victims and that the scene inside would be gruesome.

The Flint-Beecher tornado claimed lives ranging from as young as 5 months to as old as 80.

Of the 116 killed, 55 were under 20 years old — and five of those were less than a year old. Of the 844 injured, the last two survivors to be hospitalized were not discharged until five months after the tornado.

At least 20 families reported losing more than one member. The Gensel and Gatica families each lost five people.

Community response

In the wake of the disaster, state troopers, the National Guard and the Red Cross quickly mobilized to assist. Within 12 hours of the tornado, they provided first aid, food and clothing to survivors.

The National Weather Service noted in their Beecher 50th Anniversary Commemoration that the Flint-Beecher Tornado was one of eight tornadoes that occurred that evening across the eastern portion of the Lower Peninsula, resulting in an additional nine deaths and 52 injuries.

The tornado destroyed nearly 340 homes, with 107 sustaining major damage and 153 experiencing minor damage. An additional 50 businesses and other buildings were damaged, totaling an estimated $19 million — nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in today’s money.

Rebuilding the community

Beecher was able to rebuild thanks to the broader Flint community, which rallied around a “Red Feather” campaign to gather relief and rebuilding funds. Combined with Red Cross support, the effort helped the community get back on its feet.

In the late summer of 1953, a community-supported “Builder Bees” project brought volunteers together to help rebuild homes lost in the tornado.

If a landlord isn’t making repairs in a rental home, can a tenant withhold their rent?

In short, yes, but it’s complicated.

A lease is essentially a contract between the landlord and tenant, saying the former will keep the property in good repair while the latter will pay rent, said Donovan McCarty, director of Michigan State University College of Law’s Housing Justice Clinic.

“If there are repairs, that means that the landlord has breached that contract, so the tenant then will often withhold rent,” McCarty said. But that is typically treated as a defense, meaning that once a landlord takes a tenant to court for nonpayment, the tenant can raise the issue of repairs and tell the judge that is why they were withholding payments. The money must be set aside in a separate escrow account.

Here’s what else to know:

What Michigan law says about withholding rent

Both tenants and landlords are responsible for maintaining a property, according to a guide for tenants and landlords by the state of Michigan’s Legislative Service Bureau. Michigan law requires landlords to keep properties in “reasonable repair” during the lease term and ensure the premises and common areas are fit for the intended use. These are referred to as “covenants of habitability and fitness,” or promises, from the landlord.

The law does not define “reasonable repair,” however. That means it is up to the discretion of a judge or jury if it’s brought before a court, the Legislative Service Bureau guide notes.