• To: The Cascade Board of Supervisors / City Council / Zoning Commission/CEDC
  From: Concerned Residents of Oak Hill development, Concerned Citizens of Cascade and Surrounding Areas

FORMAL REQUEST & STATEMENT OF INTENT
We, the undersigned residents of Cascade and Dubuque County, formally submit this amended petition to demand that local officials strictly adhere to, enforce, and proactively utilize the 12-month moratorium enacted in June of 2026 concerning all new commercial AI data center developments.
While the June 2026 moratorium was a vital first step, little to no action has been taken by local officials over the past months to establish the necessary protective ordinances, conduct resource studies, or create a regulatory framework. This continued inaction leaves Cascade highly vulnerable to predatory development the moment the temporary pause expires. Furthermore, this petition addresses critical geographical concerns regarding improper site placement within our local industrial parks. Specifically, current properties zoned as M-1 (Light Industrial) are fundamentally incapable of accommodating the extreme, high-impact demands of a hyperscale data center without causing severe spillover effects to nearby areas. Residents deserve a transparent opportunity to review the potential long-term impacts, ask critical questions, and provide meaningful public input before any zoning loopholes are utilized or decisions are finalized.

CRITICAL LOCALIZED & LOCATION-SPECIFIC CONCERNS While the macroeconomic threats of rapid data center expansions are well-documented, the immediate danger to Cascade lies in municipal inaction, poor facility placement, and flawed zoning oversight:

Unused Moratorium Period: Despite the 12-month moratorium going into effect in June of 2026, the city has demonstrated little to no progress on studying infrastructure impacts or drafting data center-specific regulations. Passing a moratorium is meaningless if officials do not aggressively use the time to protect the city.

The M-1 Light Industrial Zoning Mismatch: Cascade’s M-1 Light Industrial classification was established for low-impact commercial operations, light manufacturing, and warehouse storage. It was never designed to support heavy, resource-intensive infrastructure like hyperscale server hubs. Forcing data centers into M-1 zones violates the spirit and safety parameters of the local municipal zoning code.

Proximity to Residential Zones & Schools: Because existing industrial parks border community areas, allowing these massive facilities to operate under standard light industrial rules places heavy machinery entirely too close to family homes and local schools. This proximity threatens neighborhood tranquility, poses safety concerns, and risks driving down residential property values.

Compromised Buffer Zones: A light industrial classification lacks the strict setback and acoustic insulation requirements needed to contain the spillover effects of a massive tech facility, directly exposing neighboring properties to constant industrial operations.

 

VERIFIED ENVIRONMENTAL & INFRASTRUCTURE IMPACTS

Unprecedented Local Water Depletion: Data centers demand immense fluid volumes to cool server architecture. A standard 50,000–70,000 sq. ft. facility requires a 1-million-gallon one-time fill, followed by tens of thousands of gallons annually for maintenance, plus up to 2 million gallons for domestic staff operations. Drawing aggressively from our local aquifers threatens long-term water stability.

Grid Instability and Rising Utility Rates: Introducing hyperscale facilities (over 10,000 sq. ft.) to the Cascade power infrastructure threatens regional grid stability. Data centers are on track to consume up to 9% of total U.S. electricity by 2030. Forcing local utilities to rapidly build expensive new energy infrastructure triggers immediate, sharp spikes in household utility rates for everyday citizens.

Public Health, Air Pollution, & Constant Noise: Industrial-sized diesel backup generators emit heavy localized air pollution during grid emergencies. Economic data from 2026 demonstrates that near-term health-related pollution costs can spike by up to 85% near these hubs, wiping out promised economic gains. Furthermore, industrial cooling fans operate 24/7/365, producing a persistent low-frequency hum that inflicts sleep disruption and long-term mental stress on neighboring families.

 

OUR CORE DEMANDS
We call upon the Cascade City Council and local officials to prioritize residents over outside corporate profits by enacting the following measures:

•  Immediately Initiate Moratorium Objectives: End the stagnation and immediately begin the work promised under the June 2026 moratorium, including engineering studies, infrastructure reviews, and ordinance drafting.
• Rectify Industrial Zoning Classifications: Explicitly declare that data center developments do not fit the criteria of M-1 Light Industrial usage, and require a separate, highly restrictive zoning designation.
•  Enact Stringent Zoning Boundaries: Permanently ban hyperscale data centers from being constructed within set buffer zones of residential areas, school districts, or ecologically sensitive environments.
• Mandate Independent, Localized Impact Assessments: Require comprehensive, transparent studies detailing aquifer drawdown, localized grid capacity limits, and ambient noise modeling before any application can be reviewed.
• Guarantee Public Transparency: Establish a formalized schedule of open community forums and public comment periods, ensuring residents are directly involved in all infrastructure decisions.

Sign this petition to defend our water, stabilize our energy grid, and save our community!