Residents urge Palm Beach County commissioners to block Project Tango data center over safety and environmental concerns

At a Palm Beach County public meeting, residents urged commissioners to reject a proposed data center known as Project Tango, saying it poses risks to nearby neighborhoods and local resources.

Speakers who live in Arden and nearby communities told commissioners they lacked sufficient information to evaluate the project and asked the county to deny or pause the proposal. Natalie Frazier, a Palm Beach County resident, told the commission, “Please vote no,” and said a nearby elementary school sits “1,200 feet from this proposed data center,” arguing that safety and exposure concerns had not been addressed.

The comments emphasized several recurring concerns: the potential for large water withdrawals for cooling, round‑the‑clock noise from cooling systems and generators, heat‑island effects and strains on the electrical grid. Jeff Mogerman, an orthopedic surgeon and local resident, said residents want expert analysis before a decision and warned of long‑term local impacts, including higher household electric bills: “Our electric bill currently runs $1,400 a month,” he said.

Speakers also raised procedural complaints. Natalie Frazier said she and others had sought public records since February 2026 and only recently received a cloud link with limited time to review before upcoming actions; she told the commissioners there were about 43 days left before a scheduled vote. Gail Ladd of the Sierra Club urged greater transparency and suggested a formal pause, saying “Vote to pause Project Tango” and proposing July 15 as a target date to allow more study.

Commissioners and staff responded to related comments about land ownership and limits on county authority. A commissioner noted that parcels transferred from Palm Beach County to the city carry deed restrictions but that other portions sold privately and later transferred to a housing authority may not carry the same limits, and recommended reviewing deed restrictions on city‑held property.

Several commenters asked the county to adopt broader zoning guardrails or a temporary moratorium on “hyper data centers” while officials study environmental and public‑safety risks. Linda Smith, representing the Sierra Club’s Loxahatchee Group, urged commissioners to “pass a moratorium of all hyper data centers” until protective measures are in place.

No formal vote or action on Project Tango was taken during the matters‑by‑the‑public period; public comment concluded and the meeting was adjourned. The transcript shows community members requested more time for public records review and asked commissioners for either a denial, a zoning change, or a moratorium while environmental, noise and safety questions are resolved.