Mayor Crowe releases statement regarding proposed data center ordinance

The following is a press release from Mayor Matthew Crowe, dated June 30, 2026, regarding a Data Center Ordinance Update.

Hello to all in Menomonie and the surrounding area,

I want to provide the public with an update on the proposed data center project to ensure communication between the City of Menomonie and the public is steady and frequent. For context, In July of 2025, Balloonist LLC applied for annexation of county lands and the rezoning of the land to Industrial (I-1) for a possible proposed data center. On July 28, 2025, The Plan Commission unanimously recommended approval to the City Council. On August 4, 2025, the vote passed through the city council with an 8-3 majority. In mid-September of 2025, the negotiations of a Tax Increment District (TID) were put on pause by the city administration. This paused negotiations for tax incentives; however, this did not pause or stop the project. Days later Balloonist LLC purchased the land in accordance with its agreements with the former landowners. After receiving feedback from the public and reviewing broader data center developments, it became clear that the City’s definitions of a warehouse and the I-1 zoning did not adequately address the risks associated with data center development.

The City of Menomonie amended its industrial zoning regulations regarding data centers. The Industrial I-4 zoning for data centers was approved by council in January of 2026. The current I4 zoning requirements for data centers include building heights and setbacks. After a public comment period, the City of Menomonie used that information to build on the I-4 ordinance to include items such as; light and noise pollution, water usage, further setbacks for equipment, landscaping, reclamation and more. The City of Menomonie has been working diligently on this I-4 zoning to ensure that it is done correctly. We thank you all for your input in this process to build this I-4 zoning ordinance. This ordinance is important in that we cannot legally ban certain industries. Though we can’t legally add certain items in this ordinance that are requested, we hope that we can build a finished product together that you the community can be proud of.

The City of Menomonie plans to have a draft of this I-4 ordinance introduced at the August 3rd, 2026, City Council Meeting. There will be no vote on the I-4 zoning ordinance at this meeting. I will read it in its entirety to the council and the public. The ordinance amendment will be included on the city council agenda, and it will be available to the public before the meeting on Wednesday July 29, 2026. Additionally, I will post this to my social media accounts as will the City on their pages and website. The City Administration hopes for a strong public turnout for that meeting and will strive to improve the ordinance amendment by incorporating community input.

Once the I-4 ordinance is complete, the City Council can formally refer it to Plan Commission for its review. After the Plan Commission conducts its review, the I-4 zoning amendment will be brought back to the City Council for adoption. Once the ordinance is adopted, Balloonist LLC, will have the legal opportunity to apply for rezoning of their property to I-4 zoning, should they decide to do so. The timeline for possible rezoning of the property will depend on whether and when Balloonist LLC submits an application.

I want to inform the public that in the last several weeks, Balloonist, LLC, has reached out to city staff and requested a meeting with me on two separate occasions. I have respectfully declined to meet with them. I have declined the meeting to avoid being unduly influenced regarding the project before the I-4 zoning amendment is approved by the City Council. At the time of this press release, Balloonist, LLC has not reached out to me directly, nor has any other entity regarding potential data center developments.

For clarification, it should be understood that Balloonist, LLC is a corporate citizen of the City of Menomonie. With that information in mind, the City of Menomonie is obligated to respond to inquiries from Balloonist, LLC. As the Mayor of the City of Menomonie, I’m committed to keeping the public informed about this process and welcome your feedback and your attendance at City Council meetings. Thank you for having the confidence in me to share your thoughts and concerns.

Sincerely,

Matthew Crowe

Mayor, City of Menomonie, WI

800 Wilson Avenue

Menomonie, WI 54751

715-440-9275

From the City of Menomonie website.