PETITION IN OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED STONEBRIDGE / FORT MEADE DATA CENTER CAMPUS

To: Fort Meade City Commission, Polk County Board of Commissioners, Southwest Florida Water Management District, and all relevant state and local authorities

We, the undersigned residents, property owners, and concerned citizens of Fort Meade, Polk County, and surrounding communities in Florida, hereby formally express our strong opposition to the proposed multi-million-square-foot data center campus (up to 4.4 million sq ft on approximately 1,164 acres west of U.S. Highway 17-98 in Fort Meade, Polk County).

WHEREAS, this massive industrial project threatens the character, quality of life, and resources of our rural and residential community;

WHEREAS, data centers of this scale consume enormous amounts of electricity and water for cooling, potentially straining local utility infrastructure, increasing resident utility rates, and depleting groundwater resources in a state already facing water challenges;

WHEREAS, the development will generate constant noise, heat, light pollution, and visual impacts from large buildings, cooling towers, backup generators, and substations, negatively affecting nearby homes, farms, wildlife, and property values;

WHEREAS, despite claims of economic benefits, the project is projected to create only a limited number of permanent local jobs (often fewer than 100 high-skill positions), while providing massive tax exemptions (approximately $140–150 million over 10 years) that reduce funding for essential public services like schools, roads, and emergency response;

WHEREAS, the rezoning was approved with limited public input relative to the project's scale, and additional permits (environmental, water use, etc.) remain pending;

WHEREAS, similar large data center projects across Florida have faced significant community opposition due to these same impacts, and alternatives exist that better balance economic growth with resident and environmental protection;

NOW THEREFORE, we respectfully demand that:

All remaining approvals, permits, and incentives for this data center project be halted or denied.

A comprehensive, independent study be conducted on the cumulative impacts to water, energy, noise, environment, traffic, and community character.

Full public hearings with transparent disclosure of all project details, utility demands, and mitigation plans be required before any further action.

Priority be given to development that preserves Fort Meade's rural character, protects natural resources, and provides broad, sustainable benefits to residents without disproportionate burdens.

We urge our elected officials and regulatory agencies to listen to the voices of the community and protect Fort Meade from this outsized industrial project.

Due to all these concerns we demand that if they still insist this is necessary for the city good, they put the decision in the hands of the community voters by a public vote rather than those commissioners who will have financial control of the monies coming from this development.