PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A controversial plan to build a massive AI data center near the Arden community is on hold after Palm Beach County Commissioners delayed a key vote Wednesday morning. The decision came after commissioners acknowledged they still had more questions than answers about the proposed project in western Palm Beach County.
WPTV was at the meeting as dozens of Arden residents filled the commission chambers, prepared to voice concerns about environmental impact, noise, and changes they fear the project could bring to their community.
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Commissioners were expected to vote on the next phase of the development but instead postponed the decision to April. They said the delay will allow time for additional studies and a deeper review of the proposal.
Resident Janice Ridenour said the community wasn’t bothered by the delay. “None of us had a problem with that,” she said.
Later in the day on Wednesday, WPTV reporter Michael Hoffman met with a group of residents back in Arden. Dressed in green and holding signs, they said reactions to the postponement varied — but no one was outright upset with the outcome.
“Honestly, it’s common sense. This thing should not be here,” Ridenour added.
Sue Ellen Loyzelle viewed the delay as a positive sign.
“I think it was a success… it allowed them to step back and really do their research,” she said.
Arden Board member Dave Zita — the only resident on the board — said the pause is both a victory and a concern.
“Getting the progress of the issue halted and paused at least temporarily — that’s a win,” Zita said. “I also think that it was a failure that we got that far.”
Zita said this project highlights a larger issue: major developments being considered before critical infrastructure needs are met. He pointed to the lack of a nearby fire station and school capacity as key concerns.
“If you're going to start… pontificating about where this should go and when it should go there, and you haven’t built that into the plan, that’s not a conversation that’s even appropriate,” Zita said. “Those facilities require fire safety, fire suppression and locationality. So too does the school.”
He added that residents want more than a temporary delay.
“It should be a pause,” he said. “A postponement has a set start, set end, and then we’re back at it. It should be an indefinite pause until this makes sense.”
Arden residents say they plan to continue organizing and preparing as the April vote approaches, stressing that their fight is far from over. Palm Beach County Mayor Sara Baxter tells Hoffman that a townhall will be held in January for people to voice their concerns. A concrete date has not yet been set.
