Current Status: Ordinance 272 Is Now Law
On June 15, 2026, City Council adopted the community-drafted noise and vibration ordinance as Ordinance 272. Mason finally has objective, enforceable property-line limits on continuous noise and vibration — the standards needed to evaluate a hyperscale data center before it’s built.
The catch: the City attorney wrongly advised Council to adopt 272 and then immediately amend it — weakening the rules so a data center could sidestep regulations that would otherwise apply to building on quiet farmland. We are prepared to file a Referendum Petition on any amendment to Ordinance 272, which would send those amendments to the November election for the people to approve.
Key Dates
Ordinance 266 Adopted
City Council adopted the M-3 data center ordinance.
Petition Threshold Met
Residents completed the referendum petition drive with the required City of Mason voter signatures.
Ordinance 266 Repealed by City Council
Council rescinded the ordinance themselves rather than letting the referendum vote take place. The public never voted on it.
Noise Ordinance Filed & Submitted
Residents filed the noise and vibration ordinance with attorney-approved language, gathered verified signatures from City of Mason voters, and submitted it to City Council on June 1, 2026.
City Council Adopted Ordinance 272
Council adopted the noise and vibration ordinance as Ordinance 272. It is now Mason law — objective, enforceable noise and vibration standards are finally on the books.
Defending Ordinance 272
The City attorney is urging Council to amend and weaken 272. We are prepared to file a Referendum Petition on any amendment and send it to the November election for voters to approve.
Why the Referendum Is Still Our Best Tool
The referendum is how residents have kept the upper hand at every turn — and it remains ready. If Council weakens Ordinance 272, or later votes to rezone land for a data center, we can put that decision directly to Mason voters. The goal hasn’t changed: enforceable standards before any data center proposal advances.
- Keep Ordinance 272’s objective property-line noise and vibration standards intact.
- Require special use review for data centers.
- Require independent water, wastewater, electrical, traffic, and environmental studies.
- Limit generator testing and require emergency response planning.
- Record binding development agreements for future owners and operators.
Vevay Township, PA 425 & the Annexation Path
Vevay Township voted to deny negotiations on a PA 425 agreement with the City of Mason. A PA 425 agreement is a voluntary, conditional land-transfer arrangement between a township and a city — and Vevay’s refusal closes that route for the developer.
What the developer would have to do next
With PA 425 off the table, the property owner’s only remaining route is to file a formal application with the Michigan State Boundary Commission asking that the City of Mason annex the land. Filing an application guarantees nothing. If one is filed:
- Property owners within 300 feet are notified, along with both the City of Mason and Vevay Township.
- There is a public hearing where everyone can express their views about the annexation.
- It is a complicated process — not a slam-dunk decision in the developer’s favor.
- The final decision can be appealed and challenged in court by Vevay Township and any other aggrieved parties.
- It can be tied up in the courts for years before any final decision could affect the City of Mason.
We Will Referendum Every Step
Even if the land were eventually annexed, annexation alone changes nothing for a data center. The owner would still have to get the land rezoned. If Council votes to change the zoning, we are prepared to file a Referendum Petition to stop it and put it to the voters. We intend to refer every step they take.
None of this is a quick process — and the politics are shifting. Mason will have new Council members by January 1, and the Mayor could face a recall in November. Either way, the current data-center-friendly Council and City Manager will not be in a position to push this development through.
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