Palmetto Bay Council Member Mark Merwitzer is pushing the village to ban data centers before any developer files a proposal, with a public zoning meeting set for Sept. 28 where residents can weigh in.
No data center has been officially proposed for construction in Palmetto Bay, Merwitzer told CBS Miami in a report published Sunday, Aug. 30. But the vice mayor said he is pushing village leaders to act now, citing concerns about noise, strain on public utilities and environmental damage along Biscayne Bay.
"We border Biscayne Bay. One of the most beautiful and treasured coastlines in all of Florida and we cannot let a server farm wreck that," Merwitzer said.
The next public step, according to Merwitzer, is a Village of Palmetto Bay zoning meeting on Monday, Sept. 28, where residents can weigh in. No formal ordinance or resolution proposing a ban has been filed as of Monday, Aug. 31.
Merwitzer called the issue generational, not political. He said residents across the spectrum share worries about water quality and what large-scale server facilities could do to a community that calls itself the "Village of Parks."
Paul Schwiep, a Palmetto Bay resident of nearly 20 years, told CBS Miami that data centers are inconsistent with the village's character. "Data centers just become these large blocks of dead spaces that don't invite any community activity," Schwiep said.
State law backs local authority
A new state law gives Palmetto Bay legal footing to pursue a ban. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 484 (SB 484) on May 7 at Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland. The law, which took effect July 1, preserves local governments' authority to reject data center projects through zoning and land-use decisions.
SB 484 also requires large-scale data center operators to pay their full cost of electric service. That bars utilities from passing those costs onto residential and small-business customers.
Florida already has 120 data centers, the fourth-highest total of any state, according to a February 2026 Tallahassee Democrat report. Nationally, data center opposition has become a flashpoint at local government meetings, with some communities moving hearings outdoors to accommodate crowds, NPR reported in April.
Merwitzer said he recently posted on social media to address residents' concerns. Village leaders are discussing plans to keep Palmetto Bay data-center-free, though it remains unclear whether other council members have formally endorsed the effort.
No other council members were quoted in the CBS Miami report.
Residents who want to speak at the Sept. 28 zoning meeting can check palmettobay-fl.gov for time and location details.
