Vevay Township Declines Mason Data Center 425 Agreement

According to WILX's June report, on June 10, 2026, the Vevay Township Board voted unanimously not to pursue a Public Act 425 agreement with the City of Mason — the proposed conditional land-transfer route for a data center at 3388 W. Columbia Road. Declining those negotiations did not decide a later annexation request or authorize the project. Those are separate decisions; no comparative completion time is established here.

What the Board Decided

The question in front of the township was whether to open negotiations with Mason on a 425 agreement covering land on the city's edge. The board declined unanimously. Township Treasurer Christopher Lewis noted that the township did not then know who the proposed end user would be and residents at the meeting raised concerns about infrastructure capacity, water usage, and the loss of rural land, according to reporting by WILX News 10.

What a 425 Agreement Is

Public Act 425 of 1984, section 2 allows two or more local units to conditionally transfer property for an economic development project under an agreed written contract. It does not itself approve a particular development. As described in the June reporting, the proposed Mason agreement would have allowed the proposed data center to use city utilities while sitting on land that was then part of Vevay Township.

City officials described the stakes ahead of the vote in reporting by WKAR on June 2: a minimum taxable investment of $500 million, with roughly $7.6 million a year in projected new tax revenue against the city's then-reported $4.3 million annual property-tax revenue. These were attributed projections, not verified receipts or guaranteed benefits. The city also indicated the agreement would have carried over noise, screening, and setback safeguards from a data-center zoning ordinance Mason previously repealed after community opposition.

Why the Township Said No

The objections voiced at the meeting track the concerns we see in data-center fights across Michigan: water demand, strain on local infrastructure, permanent conversion of farmland, and — distinctive here — the fact that the end user was not identified at that meeting. Mason's official M-3 record records repeal of Ordinance 266 on March 16, 2026 in response to referendum petitions. That repeal is separate from the June 425 vote and any later annexation or project decision.

Our Michigan data center tracker follows this proposal alongside the moratoria and zoning reviews underway in townships statewide, with sources for every entry.

Later verified status: application reported, approval unverified

Mason's August 14, 2026 report (PDF)says staff were told the landowner applied for annexation. The city had not received the application and awaited State Boundary Commission notice after a completeness determination. A reported application is not an accepted filing, approved annexation or project authorization.

The September 4 report (PDF)discusses public outreach without establishing a final annexation decision. At the September 13 source check, state acceptance, final disposition and the proposed end user remained unconfirmed here. Landowner, developer and end user are different roles; a historical statement about one does not identify the others.

For the general review stages, see the official State Boundary Commission petition process. Its description is not a decision on this proposal.

If you live in Vevay Township, Mason, or a neighboring community, the practical playbook does not change: watch the township and city agendas, show up during public comment, and understand the zoning tools available before the next application lands. Our data center zoning guide explains what a protective ordinance should include and the rights residents have at each stage.

The June account is retained as history. Later-status passages were rechecked September 13, 2026. Unverified outcomes remain labeled. It is informational and is not legal advice.