Think of Menomonie’s zoning laws like a doctor’s meal plan designed to keep our whole community healthy.

Life is our local ecosystem—sprouting from the nourishment of our own bodies, branching into the neighborhoods and industries of Menomonie, and flowing sustainably through our stewardship of the Red Cedar Watershed Basin.

Food for thought: Menomonie’s I-4 Ordinance

The City Council, legal team, and neighbors actually share the exact same goal: preventing a massive data center from crowding our town with toxins. But while some neighbors want a strict, hard cap on square footage to block it (“You can only eat 5 ounces of food, period”), our legal experts warn that a rigid square footage limit is a legal trap.

Property owners have rights. If the city uses an arbitrary cap out of fear just to stop a project, the developer will sue the city—and win, costing taxpayers millions. Most importantly, leaving the city without any protection because a judge could strike down the entire I-4 ordinance.

To protect the neighborhood safely, the City and legal counsel are using a bulletproof strategy called Density Ratios: “No matter how big your plate is, half of it must be veggies, and you can’t stack your food more than 3 stories high.” ⚖️

Here is how the City’s plan stands on the neighbors’ side:

• Square Footage Caps fail in court. Forcing a tiny building limit on a massive lot is legally indefensible and leaves the city completely unprotected.
• Density Ratios are legally bulletproof. They force the developer to leave massive amounts of open green space (at least 30%) and keep a low profile—all without risking an expensive lawsuit.

The City staff and legal team are protecting our neighborhood the smart way: using ironclad density laws to naturally control the scale of the project while keeping taxpayers safe from courtrooms.

Ultimately, both the City and local neighbors want the exact same thing: to protect Menomonie from being overwhelmed by a massive data center. While a strict square footage cap sounds like a quick fix, it is a legal trap that could cost taxpayers millions in lost lawsuits. By choosing a bulletproof density ratio strategy instead, the City staff and legal team are protecting the neighborhood the smart way—safeguarding the town’s character and green space without risking an expensive courtroom battle.