A proposal for a data center in Howell Township, Michigan, has been withdrawn.

According to a now unavailable story posted to Facebook, the developer behind the 1,000 acre data center proposal has withdrawn its rezoning application, stating that the right thing to do was to “honor the current moratorium” passed by local authorities in late November.

Township attorney Christopher Patterson told Planet Detroit that the township could have gone ahead with the rezoning request that was set to be considered on December 8, but the site plan for the facility would not have been able to move forward.

Developers Stantec Consulting Michigan and Randee LLC wanted to build their data center at the intersection of Grand River Avenue and Fleming Road on a land parcel currently zoned for various uses.

The identity of the end-user is still unclear, but reports have identified Meta as the hyperscaler behind the project.

Despite the withdrawal, citizens still showed up to Monday’s meeting with questions about the future of data center development in the township, and CBS News reported that local authorities expect the withdrawal to be temporary.

Opposition to data centers has been fierce. Concerns about energy and water use, as well as environmental and procedural concerns, have led citizens in Howell Township to adopt many of the same organizing tactics used by various communities across the US.

Facebook has become a crucial tool for local groups looking to coordinate a response – a quick glance at the ‘Stop the Data Centers’ group shows several posts publicising the time and location of township meetings, as well as providing information and guidance about the process of providing public comment.

A petition on change.org was also used to rally opposition, gathering 3,727 signatures at the time of writing.

Howell Township, in Livingston County, is some 60 miles (96.5km) northwest of downtown Detroit.