Fostering Community Action

Our Mission

Protect Frenchtown is dedicated to mobilizing the residents of Monroe, Michigan, with grassroots community volunteers to help keep Frenchtown safe for generations to come. This community site serves as a resource for citizens to connect, share information, organize events, and access important documents all aimed at protecting our local environment and quality of life. Through active engagement and collaboration, we strive to empower residents within our community to express their concerns and take meaningful action.

Our goal is to enhance local engagement through community events and a resource library, fostering connection and collaboration among neighbors.

How did we get here?

Frenchtown Charter Township is attempting to sell township-owned property to data center developer Cloverleaf Infrastructure for approximately $100,000/acre ($20 million total). The property is located at 1500 N Dixie Hwy, Monroe, MI and was formerly a golf course. The proposed site is next to Sterling State Park and a residential subdivision, roughly half a mile from a bald eagle nest, contains approximately 59 acres of wetlands, and is in close proximity to both Lake Erie and River Raisin, the latter of which has gone through extensive restoration work. The township first held an informational session about the project on November 17, 2025, but has been in contact with Cloverleaf since May 2025.

The project has primarily been driven by Frenchtown Clerk Kyle Bryant, Frenchtown Supervisor Al VanWashenova, and Frenchtown Economic Development Director Dave Uhl. Prior to Cloverleaf settling on the former golf course site, these individuals used their connections to help Cloverleaf make contact with other land owners within the township, including VanWashenova’s brother. Together with two members of the neighboring Berlin Township board, VanWashenova also has a property listed for sale at 7934 Newport S Rd, Newport, MI for data center development. VanWashenova has not recused himself from any data center related discussions or votes. In February 2026, VanWashenova was stripped of all non-statutory duties and banned from township property (except to perform statutory duties) for non-data center related issues.

VanWashenova and Uhl have tried to prevent residents from collecting signatures for petitions on public sidewalks outside of township buildings, including calling the police on petitioners, and township officials have threatened to pass an ordinance to prevent petitioning. This was largely in reaction to a citizen-led petition to place a new township ordinance for BESS systems on the August ballot. After residents succeeded in collecting well over the number of signatures required in February, DTE - a driving force behind data center development in the state - attempted to get it struck down. Despite this, the petition was successful and will be going on the ballot this August.

The citizen-led movement against “Project Cherry Blossom” has been immensely bipartisan, including members of the Monroe Democratic and Republican parties. Residents have repeatedly voiced their concerns directly to board members as well as at planning commission and town meetings, and despite the significant bipartisan pushback, the township has until very recently refused to implement a data center moratorium. Township officials, specifically Bryant, have stated that the moratorium will not affect the deal with Cloverleaf.