Fort Meade Residents File Two Lawsuits to Block Stonebridge Data Center as Watchdogs Launch Recall Push

FORT MEADE, Fla. — Five Fort Meade residents have taken their fight against the proposed Stonebridge data center to court, filing two lawsuits in Polk County that could force the city to redo its entire approval process, while a community opposition group is gathering signatures in a bid to recall three city commissioners.

Lakeland attorney A. Brent Geohagan filed two lawsuits on behalf of George McNerney, Michael Bennett, Michele McLaughlin-Raney, Katelyn McDaniel, and Raul Alfonso, chair of the Watchdogs of Fort Meade. The suits, filed on May 14, 2026, argue the city never properly reviewed whether the data center project was compatible with the surrounding neighborhood. The petitions state that the city failed to notify residents of key hearings held in 2025 before most people knew the data center was under consideration. They are asking a judge to void the city’s approval entirely and block the issuance of any construction permits. The case is projected to go to trial in November 2027.

If the residents win, the court could throw out the city’s approval and force the process to start over, this time with proper public notice and the legal review the plaintiffs say was skipped. Even if the lawsuits succeed, the project faces an entirely separate obstacle that could stop construction on its own.

Before a single shovel breaks ground, Stonebridge must secure a water-use permit from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The district notified the City of Fort Meade on the same day that commissioners voted to approve the project that Fort Meade’s existing water permit cannot supply the data center. Under a policy the district adopted in December 2025, any water-use permit for a data center must be considered by the district’s full governing board at a public meeting, where residents, environmental groups, and neighboring utilities can formally object. As of late April 2026, Stonebridge had not applied. The Florida Department of Commerce has also flagged the developer’s water demand estimate of 50,000 gallons per day as woefully underestimated for a facility of this scale, noting that eight hyperscale buildings could require dramatically more. Until that permit is approved, the project cannot move forward, regardless of what the city has already signed off on.

The Watchdogs of Fort Meade are also pursuing a recall effort targeting Mayor Jaret Williams, Vice Mayor Petrina McCutchen, and Commissioner Matthew Taylor. Ronald Martin, a member of the Watchdogs of Fort Meade, reached out to The Citrus Tea to share the news that the group is actively collecting voter signatures for a petition.

Under Florida law, a recall requires specific legal grounds such as misconduct or neglect of duty. A policy vote alone, even one that residents strongly oppose, does not meet that legal standard, and Florida courts have consistently held that policy disagreements are not grounds for removal from office. The Watchdogs have not publicly stated which specific legal grounds they intend to cite. All three commission seats targeted in the recall effort are up for reelection in 2028, offering a more straightforward path for voters seeking change on the commission.

The Watchdog group held a community rally this past Saturday at First Church of God in Fort Meade, where speakers addressed the crowd, some traveling from as far as the Tampa Bay area. The event also featured a petting zoo and raffle items donated by Fort Meade residents and local businesses.

The Stonebridge project, if built, would be Florida’s first hyperscale data center, with up to eight buildings totaling 4.4 million square feet on a 1,300-acre site at a former phosphate mine west of U.S. Highway 98. The Fort Meade City Commission voted 5-0 to approve a 20-year development agreement on April 14, 2026, even as 40 of 41 residents who spoke at the meeting opposed it.

The Citrus Tea News reached out to City Manager Troy Bell and the Watchdogs’ chair, Raul Alfonso, for comment. This story will be updated when responses are received.