Data centers and digital mining may be authorized as special land uses in Bengal Township’s two zoning districts. Where the special-land-use pathway applies, the project requires site-plan review, a public hearing, and Planning Commission approval, which may be granted, conditioned, or denied.

A zoning compliance permit is required before erecting a structure, altering an existing structure in a way that uses additional land, or establishing a new use. The application must include specified property, structure, utility, and site-plan information, and the zoning compliance certificate expires six months after filing unless a Clinton County building permit has been issued.

The 2026 zoning amendment adds data centers and digital mining as uses permitted by right and as special land uses in both of Bengal Township’s zoning districts, allowing data centers to pursue either an administrative path or special-use approval depending on the circumstances. Notice of adopted amendments

The zoning ordinance requires the Planning Commission to act on a complete site-plan application within 90 days, unless the applicant agrees in writing to an extension, creating a defined review timeline for covered data-center projects. 90-day site-plan review period

After final site-plan approval, the required appeal waiting period is seven days before the applicant may seek the applicable county building permit, limiting the stated post-approval delay. seven-day waiting period

The ordinance allows the Planning Commission to conditionally approve a site plan based on requirements of county or state agencies and to require performance guarantees for improvements such as roads, lighting, utilities, drainage, fencing, screening, and landscaping, providing a mechanism to address infrastructure requirements within the approval process. performance guarantee for improvements

Existing utilities, communications towers, and transmission lines may continue to be operated and maintained; however, new essential public-service construction beyond poles, wires, and usual underground utilities requires Township Board approval. This preserves continued use of existing infrastructure that a data center might rely on, subject to the stated approval requirement for new construction. existing utilities may continue to be operated and maintained

If a data center is lawfully established but later becomes nonconforming because of a zoning change, the nonconforming use may continue, and a change in ownership, tenancy, or management does not by itself terminate the nonconforming status. The protection is subject to the ordinance’s limits, including discontinuation rules and restrictions on enlargement. change in ownership does not affect a nonconformity