Palm Beach County planners recommend approval of controversial AI data center Project Tango
Palm Beach County planning staff have recommended approval for the controversial Project Tango AI data center, despite significant resident opposition, while requiring several plan changes. Palm Beach County Mayor Sara Baxter plans to propose a county-wide moratorium on future data centers to establish clearer regulations on distances, water, and power, although Project Tango would be exempt. A planning and zoning meeting is scheduled for July 2, expected to draw protests.
Palm Beach County planning staff have recommended approval for the controversial Project Tango AI data center, despite months of resident pushback. The recommendation, which is based on the project meeting legal criteria, requires the applicant to make several changes to reduce potential impacts on nearby communities like Arden and Saddleview Elementary School.
Residents, including Rachel Smith and Ben Brown, maintain that the proposed changes are insufficient, with concerns raised about the project's classification as heavy industrial in an area zoned for light industrial.
Palm Beach County Mayor and Commissioner Sara Baxter, who publicly opposes the project and will recuse herself from the vote, plans to advocate for a county-wide moratorium on future data centers. Her aim is to establish comprehensive regulations concerning distances from residents, as well as appropriate handling of water and power. However, she confirmed that if a moratorium is approved, Project Tango would not be subject to it.
Project manager Ernie Cox expressed appreciation for the thorough review and project refinements, stating they will work with the recommended conditions. The next step in the public review process is a planning and zoning meeting on Thursday, July 2, which is expected to attract numerous protesters. Separately, a new state law, CS/CS/SB 484, addressing utility rules for large-scale data centers, is set to take effect on July 1.