Palm Beach County zoning commission votes against AI data center 'Project Tango', citing infrastructure and environmental concerns.
Over 100 residents, along with experts and activists, packed a hearing room on Thursday in western Palm Beach County to voice opposition to "Project Tango," a proposed hyperscale AI data center expansion within the Central Park Commerce Center near Arden. The Palm Beach County Zoning Commission responded with a unanimous recommendation against the proposal, delivering a significant victory to the local opposition.
The application sought to expand an existing data center approval within the Central Park Commerce Center site, increasing the allowed development space from just over 2 million square feet to 3.6 million square feet. The applicant, PBA Holdings, Inc., argued the expansion was necessary to accommodate the AI data center campus. However, the final decision rests with the Palm Beach County Commissioners, who will vote on the project on July 15.
Local residents have rallied against the proposal, citing deep concerns over its massive power and water demands, potential noise impacts near homes and schools, and broader implications for the community. Raymond Penuela, an Arden resident and HOA board member, warned that approving Project Tango would set a dangerous "legal precedent" for similar projects across the county. "It's very concerning. It will be used for future decisions. It is your choice to allow that," he said.
Board member Susan Kennedy cast the motion to deny, stating that "the project fails to meet the county's standards, including consistency with the comprehensive plan, consistency with the ULDC [Unified Land Development Code], compatibility with the surrounding uses, design minimizing adverse impact, design minimizing environmental impact, and adequate public facilities."
The county's planning staff had initially recommended approval, but intense public comments and board discussion shifted the outcome. Board Chair Christopher Kammerer identified the core issue: while data centers technically fit some "light industrial" definitions, their massive footprint and impact on surrounding neighborhoods—particularly the Arden community and Saddle View Elementary School—align more closely with "heavy industrial" characteristics. The current zoning code treats standard cloud-storage data centers identically to hyperscale AI data centers, a misalignment that fueled much of the contention.
The county approved a smaller site plan in 2016 for roughly 206,000 square feet of data center space alongside a 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse, establishing legal precedent for data center development at the location. Board member Claudio Mendoza cautioned that allowing this project would open the floodgates to "build the same thing everywhere."