ANN ARBOR, MI — A Michigan lawmaker plans to introduce a constitutional amendment next week that would require state universities to follow local zoning rules and undergo public review — including approval from local planning commissions — before beginning construction.
The proposal comes in response to a controversial University of Michigan project with Los Alamos to construct a “high‑performance computing facility” in Ypsilanti Township.
State Rep. Jimmie Wilson Jr., D-Ypsilanti, told MLive he drafted an amendment to the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act that would give local governments zoning authority over land purchased by the state’s major public universities. The amendment would target the three research universities named in the state constitution: the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University…