Voters in four metro-east communities to weigh in on data center development
Voters in four Madison County townships that overlap Granite City will decide in November whether they support future data center development. The advisory measures are nonbinding, but they reflect resident concerns about environmental risks, utility costs, water use and government transparency as developers consider projects in the Granite City and Pontoon Beach areas.
Residents of Chouteau, Granite City, Nameoki and Venice townships will vote in November on nonbinding advisory questions about whether data center development should be allowed in their communities. The initiatives were organized by Granite City resident Heather Groetecke after community meetings about proposed projects near Granite City and Pontoon Beach, where residents raised concerns about environmental hazards, utility rate increases, water use and public disclosure.
Cloverleaf Infrastructure has discussed potential data center sites along Granite City's Route 3 industrial corridor and said it would not use groundwater wells for cooling. The company also proposed enforceable zoning requirements addressing noise and light pollution. Granite City Mayor Mike Parkinson and other officials have disputed residents' claims that the city privately coordinated with America’s Central Port, while officials say the Granite City proposals were later tabled. A moratorium was initially sought by organizers but was replaced with the nonbinding ballot measure.