LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. — Palm Beach County planning staff have recommended that county commissioners approve the controversial Project Tango AI data center, despite months of pushback from residents in the western communities.
WATCH BELOW: 'I do believe that we should set distances from residents,' Palm Beach County Mayor and Commissioner Sara Baxter tells WPTV's Michael Hoffman
The recommendation does not reflect an opinion on the project. Palm Beach County Mayor and Commissioner Sara Baxter, who represents the area where the center would be built, said the staff recommendation simply means the project has met certain legal criteria required by the county.
"It's not opinion-based. We have certain criteria within the county that has to be met, and all that is saying is that this project meets those certain criteria," Baxter said.
The proposed data center site sits approximately 1,100 feet from the Arden community and the recently opened Saddleview Elementary School in the western communities of Palm Beach County.
As part of the recommendation for approval, county staff are requiring the applicant to make several changes to the plan to reduce potential impacts on nearby residents. Those required changes include:
- Limiting the use of potable water
- Deeper safeguards for the types and exact placement of the lithium iron batteries
- Updated sound studies from the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
- Limiting daily water use to 100,000 gallons per day
Residents who have been vocal against the hyperscale AI data center say those changes are not enough.
"I appreciate that they're trying to fit within the boundaries of what they need to do, but again, I think it's all a farce," Rachel Smith said.
Another resident raised concerns about the project's classification.
WATCH WPTV'S COVERAGE BELOW:
"This is a heavy industrial process and project in an area that is zoned for light industrial, so again I question the expertise," Ben Brown said.
Baxter, who has publicly voiced her opposition to the project and must therefore recuse herself from the vote, said she plans to push for broader action on data center development across the county.
"I am going to ask my fellow commissioners to do a moratorium on data, any future data centers, until we get a grip on what these regulations should look like around data centers," Baxter said. "I do believe that we should set distances from residents. I do believe that we should make sure that the water is handled appropriately, that power is handled appropriately, and we need time to do that."
Baxter confirmed that if a moratorium is approved, Project Tango would not fall under it.
Residents say they remain skeptical.
"I would say the bar is set that if she actually gets the moratorium passed, then I will give it much more credit," said Brown.
"Sarah Baxter has been all over the place with this fight. She is the one that put it on the consent agenda, and then flipped her position when she got a lot of criticism from her constituents. If this is her truly wanting to make the right decision for her constituents and the people she represents, I'm all for it, because we need as much help as we can get. We've seen multiple counties in the state of Florida pass moratoriums, so Palm Beach County would not be the first. And I hope truly that this is Sarah Baxter listening and hearing us and making the right decision for the residents of Palm Beach County," added Smith.
Project manager Ernie Cox issued the following statement in response to the staff recommendation:
"We appreciate the thorough review conducted by Palm Beach County staff and the careful consideration given to the changes we've made throughout the review process. The recommendation follows months of technical review, project refinements and ongoing engagement with the community. We will work with the recommended conditions and look forward to continuing through the public review process."
The next step is a planning and zoning meeting on Thursday, July 2, which is expected to draw hundreds of protesters opposed to the project.
Meanwhile, a new law dealing with large-scale data centers is set to take effect Wednesday, July 1. CS/CS/SB 484 sets new utility rules for "large load" customers, including tariff requirements, and directs a state review of data-center impacts.
Read more of WPTV's related coverage below:
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WPTV listens to concerns about proposed data center ahead of town hall
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Royal Palm Beach
