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Residents press trustees on data centers, alleged land sales and a zoning referendum; staff offers open-house dates
Summary
Multiple residents at the Cascade Township meeting criticized trustees for possible conflicts of interest related to proposed Microsoft data centers, urged support for tree-protection zoning and questioned campaign spending for a referendum; staff and the supervisor defended open-house briefings of ballot language and clarified that the new zoning does not mandate low-income housing.
An extended public-comment period turned to debate over proposed data centers near the township and a zoning referendum set for the August 4 ballot, with several residents alleging lack of transparency and possible conflicts of interest by trustees.
Nicole (public commenter) said she and other residents had attended a long planning commission meeting and urged the township to consider regional effects of hyperscale data-center proposals; she said a trustee had voted for a six-month moratorium while reportedly agreeing in writing to sell parcels elsewhere to a proposed Microsoft project, and asked the board to be mindful of community impacts.
Scott Vinceman criticized a trustee's email about the tree-protection ordinance as misleading, described prior large-scale clearing at a Spalding Avenue parcel that changed land character and urged trustees to "stand with the residents" rather than real-estate interests. He cited an approximate figure spent to put the referendum on the ballot (about $115,000) and asked why so much money came from outside real-estate interests.
Josh Jordan, who identified himself as a university instructor and retired military officer, asked for greater proactive disclosure by public officials and said selling land to a developer while participating in related policy debates creates an appearance problem. He urged citizen participation on any subcommittee on the issue.
Township staff and the supervisor responded: staff announced four open-house sessions to review the ballot language and answer factual questions (June 17 and July 15, 9 a.m.'noon at township offices; June 24 and July 22, 5'7 p.m. at the Wisner Center) and said staff will not take a position but will provide factual comparisons between current and proposed zoning. The supervisor said legal counsel is reviewing outreach materials and stated that the new zoning does not include provisions about low-income housing, calling claims to the contrary "a blatant lie." He also noted money spent to collect signatures to place the referendum on the ballot.
Speakers repeatedly asked trustees to disclose any financial ties or property transactions relevant to zoning and data-center discussions. Board members and staff emphasized they are trying to balance factual education for voters with legal counsel guidance on use of township facilities and resources during a campaign.
The ballot question will proceed to a public vote on August 4; staff and trustees encouraged residents with questions to attend the listed open-house sessions to get factual clarifications.
