Menomonie Council Begins Public Review of Tighter Data Center Zoning Rules
Menomonie’s Common Council reviewed a proposed expansion of the city’s data-center zoning rules Monday, August 3, but took no ordinance action.
The agenda listed the item as discussion only, with “no action” intended. The July 29 draft ordinance is a proposal for further review, not an adopted ordinance and not currently enforceable. City staff said a second draft will be prepared after feedback.
What the draft would change
The proposal would amend the Data Center Industrial, or I-4, district created by Ordinance 2026-01 on January 5, 2026. The existing I-4 rules set 400-foot front, side and rear setbacks for buildings. Those building setbacks would remain under the draft.
The proposed amendment would add 800-foot setbacks for backup generators and chillers. The draft describes those facilities as likely noise generators and says the added distance is intended to reduce potential effects on adjacent properties.
The draft also would apply specific lighting and landscaping standards. Outdoor fixtures would have to be downlit or cutoff fixtures, use a maximum corrected color temperature of 4,000 Kelvin, and keep light distribution at no more than 0.5 footcandle at the property line. A photometric plan would be required.
Landscaping rules would require one tree for every 25 feet of property perimeter. At least half of the required trees would have to meet larger minimum sizes: a 3-inch caliper for deciduous trees or a 9-foot height for conifers. Irrigated turf grass would not be allowed. Areas not covered by buildings, equipment, parking, driveways or storage yards generally would be restored with deep-rooted native plants or non-irrigated turf grass.
Water, sewer and environmental provisions
The draft would prohibit open evaporative cooling and direct heat exchange to wastewater. It also would restrict large periodic water draws, except for firefighting, from May 1 through September 1.
A future developer would have to submit a detailed water-conservation plan showing estimated use in gallons per minute, gallons per day and gallons per year. The plan would have to be updated at least once every three years.
Under the proposed language, water demand could not exceed available system capacity unless the developer paid for additional capacity. Wastewater discharges likewise could not exceed system capacity unless the developer paid for added capacity.
The draft says PFOA and PFOS limits would take effect immediately within the I-4 district. Its stormwater section would continue to reference existing city standards. The proposal also includes groundwater provisions: existing permitted wells could be used for construction dust control within specified limits, but existing wells would have to be sealed before final occupancy and new operational wells would not be allowed.
Noise and traffic plans
Operational noise measured at the property line could not exceed five decibels above ambient levels under the draft. Ambient levels would be measured over 60-minute daytime and nighttime periods using dBA and dBC measurements.
A future developer would need a noise-mitigation plan, monitoring equipment and reports to the city at least quarterly. If the proposed limit were exceeded, the mitigation plan would have to be updated and additional mitigation measures implemented.
Traffic provisions would require preconstruction counts at major intersections between a future site and the nearest interstate, a traffic-impact analysis, and plans for temporary and permanent traffic controls. The developer would pay for necessary permanent controls and agree with the city on designated construction routes before construction began.
No I-4 land is currently zoned
City staff said no property in Menomonie is currently zoned I-4. The August 3 discussion therefore did not approve a data-center site or authorize construction.
Any future modification of the I-4 district would require public notice, a public hearing and City Council action. Rezoning property into the district would require the same steps.
For residents, the immediate status is that the proposal remains under review. The next expected step is a revised draft, followed by any formal Plan Commission and City Council process the city chooses to pursue. The August 3 meeting itself was not a public hearing and did not change the city’s zoning code.
Sources
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