Thursday, July 31, 2025
'We don't want it here': Caledonia residents speak against rezoning for datacenter
Holly Gilvary
CALEDONIA — More than 20 residents on Monday spoke against a land use amendment and a rezoning that would allow for the construction of a datacenter in the village.
The Caledonia Plan Commission is considering an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map and a parcel rezoning for 244 acres along Douglas Avenue and Botting Road.
Energy and water usage needed for a datacenter, as well as the disruption of the area’s ecosystem, were among the biggest reasons many residents opposed the rezoning and the possible development.
The amendment would change the land use category from Agricultural, Rural Residential, and Open Land and Low-Density Residential to Transition Light Industrial to allow for the future rezoning of the site to M-1, Light Manufacturing and Office District. The rezoning would change the parcels to M-1 from A-2, Agriculture, allowing for the opportunity for a future development of a datacenter.
The Caledonia Village Board approved the creation of the Transition Light Industrial land use category in February.
Addresses for the land involved include 8591, 8414 and 8127 Botting Road; 6005 County Line Road; and 8632 Douglas Ave., as well as multiple parcels along Douglas Avenue without numeric addresses.
The applicant for the land use amendment and rezoning, Rich Brittingham of Dewberry Engineering, said Monday that there are “many unknowns” about the project at this point, including what type of technology would be used and how buildings would be laid out on the property.
The Plan Commission postponed voting on both items until its next meeting, at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25 at the Caledonia Village Hall, 5043 Chester Lane.
If the commission approves the land use map amendment and the rezoning, the items will be sent to the Village Board for final approval.
The board’s approval would not necessarily mean a datacenter will be constructed on the land, but gives developers the opportunity to propose a more detailed plan to the village.
Resident Tiffany Hammond said she works in construction and converts a lot of “beautiful farm land” into industrial parks or new residential developments, and said she has seen developers go against their word on conservation efforts and other promises made to residents for development projects.
“They’re going to do whatever they want,” she said.
Hammond added that she and many other residents moved to Caledonia to escape “industrial parks.”
“We don’t want that here,” she said. “We’ve never wanted it here. We’re never going to want it here.”
Andrew Hendricks questioned the benefits of a datacenter to the village, saying neither Plan Commission members nor Brittingham had addressed this.
“All I really took away … was, ‘We want to put this thing here, and it’s OK because there’s (the WE Energies) power plant nearby,’” Hendricks said. “What does this offer us?”
Trustee Nancy Pierce said the question of a datacenter’s benefits should be discussed at future meetings after a decision is made on the land use.
Lee Wishau, who is a Village Board trustee but not a member of the Plan Commission, said that if a datacenter project materializes in Caledonia, it should be built in one of the village’s Tax Increment Finance districts, such as the development at the former South Hills Golf Course.
“In our budget, we are subsidizing our TIF districts to the tune of a million dollars a year because … they’re not producing the income yet, at this point, that we need it to to be in positive territory” Wishau said.
Brittingham encouraged the commission to delay the vote until the August meeting, saying he didn’t feel it was appropriate for the commission to rush into a decision when the conditions of approval were new both to Dewberry and the village.
He also encouraged residents to continue asking questions about the land use, rezoning and possible development.
“We don’t take it lightly that this is a request that poses a lot of questions to everyone in this room, and those conditions of approval are really the guiding conditions … that are going to shape how this development occurs,” Brittingham said.
He also addressed residents’ concerns about water usage, saying new datacenters use a “closed-loop” liquid cooling system, unlike those built five to 10 years ago that “admittedly, used a ton of water.”
“The water usages that you hear about are from the old technology, and the industry has adapted, because that is not sustainable,” Brittingham said. “The water usage (for new datacenters) is negligible.”
In other business, the commission approved appointments to the village’s new Special Comprehensive Plan Review Committee, which will assist in the development, review and recommendations of updates to the village’s Comprehensive Plan. The committee will serve in an advisory capacity to the Plan Commission.
The commission voted 6-1 to appoint Michael Moore, Josh Sobczak, Laura Million, Dave Pennings, Chris Tribbey, Marla Wishaw, Bob Prochaska, Kim Hood, Roger Therkelsen, Torben Christensen and Nate Haig.
Pierce voted against the appointments, saying she did not recognize a majority of the appointees listed and that several nominees told her they were not contacted by the village for interviews. Village President and Plan Commission Chair Tom Weatherston said he reached out to all nominees, but some never returned his phone calls.
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Franksville man sentenced after child porn conviction
Milana Doné
RACINE — A Franksville man was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison in connection child pornography charges from 2024.
Thomas Firmani, 79, was found guilty of one count of child pornography possession, which is a felony.
He also was ordered to serve three years of extended supervision.
Firmani originally was charged with nine additional counts of child pornography possession. Those counts were dismissed but read into the court record.
Firmani was identified as a person of interest during an investigation by the Racine County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children unit.
During a search of his home, investigators seized multiple electronic devices, which reportedly contained numerous images and videos of child pornography, according to RCSO.
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Racine man accused of child sexual assault pleads not guilty
Milana Doné
RACINE — A 30-year-old Racine man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges regarding sexual assault of a child and child pornography.
Nelson Roberts-Smith is facing one count of repeated sexual assault of the same child (at least three violations of first degree sexual assault), one count of incest with child, four counts of child sexual exploitation by videoing or recording, four counts of child exploitation by producing or performing and 15 counts of child pornography possession.
Roberts-Smith originally was charged with one count of repeated sexual assault of a child and one count of incest, but the criminal complaint was amended in June.
According to the complaint, Roberts-Smith also is under federal investigation because of “the international dissemination of child pornography and the production of child pornography.”
The complaint states that the Racine County Sheriff’s Office began working with the Department of Homeland Security on June 4 after Homeland Security Investigations Milwaukee received a tip from Dutch authorities regarding the production and distribution of child pornography through a messaging app.
According to the complaint, a Dutch investigator acting as a confidential informant communicated with a user, “Fantastic,” later identified as Roberts-Smith.
The complaint states that the informant was sent a video that reportedly shows Roberts-Smith sexually assaulting a young child.
Shortly before 7 p.m. on June 4, officers conducted a traffic stop during which Roberts-Smith was arrested and his phone was seized. He allegedly told officers he knew of Teleguard but declined to provide more information.
When searching Roberts-Smith’s phone, investigators reportedly found the same video that was sent to the informant through the messaging app.
Investigators also reportedly found multiple chats — one with more than 600 members — in which Roberts-Smith allegedly discussed the abuse and sent child pornography to other users.
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Franksville man sentenced for child porn charges
Milana Doné
RACINE — A Franksville man was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison in connection child pornography charges from 2024.
Thomas Firmani, 79, was found guilty of one count of child pornography possession, which is a felony.
He also was ordered to serve three years of extended supervision.
Firmani originally was charged with nine additional counts of child pornography possession. Those counts were dismissed but read into the court record.
Firmani was identified as a person of interest during an investigation by the Racine County Sheriff's Office Internet Crimes Against Children unit.
During a search of his home, investigators seized multiple electronic devices, which reportedly contained numerous images and videos of child pornography, according to RCSO.
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UPDATE: Woman, man die from injuries after Tuesday shooting, standoff, RPD says
Milana Doné
RACINE — A man and a woman have died after a shooting led to an hours-long standoff with Racine police officers Tuesday.
According to a press release from the Racine Police Department, officers responded to the 1100 block of Reschke Avenue about 11:03 a.m. for a report of a person being shot. At the scene, officers found a 48-year-old woman with multiple gunshot wounds.
Police said the suspect, a 51-year-old man, retreated into a home, prompting the standoff.
Police crisis negotiators reportedly "established sporadic communications with the suspect … encouraging him to surrender," the RPD release said.
According to the release, communications ceased and RPD SWAT team members at about 6:30 p.m. entered the residence, where the man was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Both the woman and the man reportedly were taken to the hospital and then flown via Flight for Life for further treatment. Police announced their deaths Wednesday but did not specify when they died.
Police initially called the shooting a domestic attempted homicide but did not indicate the relationship between the man and the woman.
RPD is seeking more information regarding the initial shooting. Anyone with information can contact the RPD Investigations Unit at 262-635-7756, or Crime Stoppers at 262-636-9330 or through the Crime Stoppers app to remain anonymous.
The Kenosha Police Department is handling the investigation related to the police standoff, due to department procedures.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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Racine man sentenced in child neglect, animal mistreatment case
Milana Doné
RACINE — A Racine man was sentenced Monday in connection to charges of child neglect and animal mistreatment.
Steven Burdo, 41, was found guilty of two counts of chronic neglect of a child where specified harm did not occur and two counts of mistreatment of animals causing death.
Each count of chronic neglect of a child received two years of initial confinement with three years of extended supervision. Each count of mistreatment of animals received two years of initial confinement with two years of extended supervision.
Burdo pleaded no contest to the four counts May 6.
He originally was charged with 36 additional counts regarding neglect of a child, intentional improper animal shelter regarding sanitation and intentionally mistreating animals. These charges were dismissed but read into the court record.
Burdo was charged alongside Sandra Lemke, who was sentenced April 25.
According to previous Journal Times reporting, on July 19, 2023, Racine County Human Services Department received a report about improper living conditions in Lemke and Burdo’s home on Loraine Avenue.
When social services and police entered the home, the smell of urine and feces was reportedly apparent. Two dead dogs reportedly were found in a child’s bedroom, and the Wisconsin Humane Society treated 16 live animals found in the home that were suffering from various injuries and illnesses.
The Racine Health Department later condemned the property.