Arcadia residents fear AI data center will dry up wells, hurt property values

ARCADIA, Fla. (WINK) — An Arcadia man filed a lawsuit against the DeSoto County Board of Commissioners, asking to void the decision to add an AI data center to a residential area.

The lawsuit filed last week lists more than one dozen reasons why the data center should not have been approved. It asks the DeSoto County Court to void the decision.

Asha Stalnaker, a realtor who lives less than a mile from where the data center would be built, said she agrees with the lawsuit.

READ MORE: Proposed AI data center raises questions about power use, air quality in DeSoto County

"If it does get approved, I will be selling my home before anything breaks ground because... and I recommend anybody else in the neighborhood does the same," Stalnaker said.

Stalnaker bought and renovated her home two years ago. Her children live there, and more than a dozen farm animals call the backyard home.

"Terrible for our water. I worry that my well will dry up," she said.

Stalnaker said she has major concerns as to why the data center was placed in the middle of a residential zone. She said she understands why Ed Johnson filed the lawsuit.

"They're very quick to cite code violations. And so in this particular case, I just cited them, you know. And so now let's see what the court says about it," Johnson said.

READ MORE: DeSoto County residents push back on proposed AI data center

Johnson said three main issues concern him. He doesn't believe the Board of Commissioners gave enough notice before all meetings, staff reports were non-compliant, and there was no full disclosure of the ex parte communications.

"If the court rules the way I think they will, they will quash the ordinance. They will wipe it out, and that forces everybody back to square one," Johnson said.

Johnson said the DeSoto County Board of Commissioners has 20 days to respond to the lawsuit.

"I served in Vietnam before most of the commissioners were born, so I don't mind a good fight," Johnson said.

WINK News has been covering the AI data center being approved in Arcadia, and that approval was paused in March. WINK News reached out to the DeSoto Board of Commissioners and DCIP, but has not heard back.