Resident raises power, water and noise concerns over proposed Bitcoin manufacturing site

A Cascade resident urged the City Council on March 9 to answer questions about reports that Cascade Development sold property to a Bitcoin manufacturing company that plans to build a facility across from the butcher block.

"I'm Daniel White. I live at 151 Jack Oak up on the hill by the water tower," the resident told the council during public comment. He said he had heard the site would house rows of computers that would need extensive cooling, and that he had been told the operation could consume "the same amount of electricity as 2,000 homes." He added that constant noise from compressors and large fans could keep neighbors awake.

Council members and staff told White they had not received a formal application or public notice tied to the project. A council speaker said the citys primary regulatory levers would be building permits and zoning, and that the council itself would not vote on whether the facility could locate on privately owned land unless an application requiring council approval was filed.

City staff also offered a technical clarification on cooling: the speaker described the sites planned cooling as a closed-loop system using cooling towers to chill and reuse water, rather than withdrawing and discarding large volumes of fresh water. "Its using fans to cool and cooling towers basically to cool the water to reuse it," the staff member said.

White said some residents had received an anonymous message claiming Makoka Valley IRC already had paperwork in place to supply the required electricity. The council advised White to contact the Cascade Economic Development Corporation for details about private negotiations. One councilmember said an outside public forum had been suggested in another city where a similar project drew large opposition.

Council members also noted residents may be able to challenge or comment during any formal land-use or permitting processes and that the economic development corporation is a private entity that may choose how publicly it discusses negotiations. The council suggested residents request members of the Cascade Economic Development Corporation to present information and said the city could consider scheduling a public forum if there is sufficient community interest.

Next steps: residents seeking detail on ownership, utility connections or timeline were told to contact the Cascade Economic Development Corporation. City staff said they would provide any formal applications or permit materials to the council and public when those documents are submitted.