Palm Beach County Mayor Sara Baxter is stepping into the hot seat Wednesday night in Royal Palm Beach, where she will host a town hall on Project Tango, the proposed data-center development that has stirred months of neighborhood backlash. The meeting, set for 6 to 8 p.m., offers residents a rare in-person chance to grill officials about noise, water use and the project’s proximity to Saddle View Elementary. County commissioners previously postponed a December zoning vote so staff could dig up more information to address those concerns.
Baxter announced the forum on her Instagram, and county officials say it will take place in the Village of Royal Palm Beach Grand Ballroom at the Cultural Center, 151 Civic Center Way. Residents will be able to make public comments on the record, according to WPTV.
Where Project Tango Would Sit
The proposal covers roughly 200 acres along Southern Boulevard at the 20-mile bend, about four miles west of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, sitting next to the Arden community and within walking distance of Saddle View Elementary, according to CBS12. The developer has also asked to tack on about 60 more acres to the site plan, a move that reignited public opposition at the last hearing.
Why Neighbors Are Angry
Dozens of residents packed the December commission meeting to object to the expansion, warning that a hyperscale computing campus could pull heavily on local water supplies, spike electricity demand and create constant operational noise, WPBF reported. Many argued that the project’s size and closeness to homes and a school clash with the community’s rural character.
What To Expect At Wednesday's Town Hall
County staff say the forum is designed to let residents ask questions, submit comments for the public record and review updated materials from the project team. Local coverage notes that both county officials and representatives for the developer are expected to attend. WPTV adds that the event is meant to help staff gather information ahead of the April rehearing.
Mayor Baxter has cast the gathering as purely informational and pushed back on any suggestion of backroom dealing, calling those claims “a rumor started for political purposes” and noting, “If there was any truth to that, I would have approved the project when it came to us the first time, instead of postponing it to get more information out,” WFLX reported. She told reporters the town hall is intended to help county leaders gather facts before they vote.
Statewide Pressure And Policy Questions
The Project Tango fight is unfolding as Florida wrestles with a broader question: how to chase high-tech investment without overtaxing water and power systems needed for AI infrastructure. WLRN reported that the controversy has caught the eye of state officials and prompted calls for clearer rules on data-center water and electricity use. Lawmakers and the governor have discussed potential guardrails as large-scale projects roll out across the state.
What's Next
County leaders have pushed the Project Tango application to a late-April rehearing, with April 23 as the date most outlets cite, when commissioners could approve the plan, reject it outright or attach conditions to any expansion, WPBF reported. Wednesday’s town hall is meant to surface the technical data and community feedback that will shape that decision.
The town hall is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Village of Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center, 151 Civic Center Way. County channels and local outlets have shared RSVP and participation details, including how to speak on the record, CBS12 noted. For residents following every twist, the April rehearing looms as the next decisive moment.
