A proposed data center in Sand Springs has led to a lawsuit filed by the nonprofit group, Protect Sand Springs Alliance.
The organization announced it had filed a lawsuit (CV-2026-00002) in Osage County District Court in an effort to stop the project that will be considered by the Sand Springs city planning commission later this month.
It is at least the second lawsuit filed in Oklahoma against a data center. A lawsuit was filed last year against a Google data center project in Stillwater. The lawsuit by the Protect Sand Springs Alliance contends the City improperly annexed the site where a proposed data center development would be built.
The data center effort is known as the “Project Spring” data center development. TV news accounts quoted the non-profit organization as claiming the City of Sand Springs failed to follow proper legal procedures and statutory requirements in annexing the land.
The lawsuit filing as shown on the Oklahoma Supreme Court Network (OSCN) indicated the lawsuit alleged the city had bypassed necessary legal procedures and statutory requirements during the process of annexing the site.
“Annexation of property in the absence of such contiguousness or adjacentness is a violation of Oklahoma law.
32. The annexed property is the subject of an illegal and improper annexation in plain violation of 11 O.S. § 21-101, et seq.
33. Plaintiffs are entitled, pursuant to 12 O.S. § 1651, et seq., to a declaratory judgment that Ordinance 452 extended the City of Sand Springs fence line beyond the parameters of Ordinance 204 and repealed the Present Sand Springs Line of Ordinance 204,” stated the lawsuit.
The organization said they believe the City of Sand Springs overstepped as they were facilitating the annexation of the land where the data center development, called “Project Spring,” would be built by failing to follow proper legal procedures and other statutory requirements.
“Plaintiffs are entitled, pursuant to 12 O.S. § 1651, et seq., to a declaratory judgment that fence line annexation undertaken by the City of Sand Springs serves no municipal purpose and is an impermissible use of municipal authority and in violation of Oklahoma law,” argued the lawsuit.
Protect Sand Springs Alliance said they’re hoping the court will void the City’s annexation of the land, which would prohibit the Project Spring data center from being built there.
“Plaintiffs are entitled to and request the Court enter a Temporary Restraining Order and Temporary Injunction, pursuant to 12 O.S. § 1381 et. seq., to enjoin Defendants from:
a. rezoning the Subject Property during the pendency of this litigation; and
b. engaging in construction and/or land use activities that are outside of the scope of the
current uses of the Subject Property; and
c. prevent further enforcement of Ordinance 1434.”
In announcing the lawsuit, Kyle Schmidt, President of the Board of Directors for the Protect Sand Springs Alliance released a statement, thanking members who “rallied together so effectively” and “donated their own time and money to help defend our community from out-of-state developers looking to make a quick buck on our backs without doing their due diligence.”
His statement also accused the Sand Springs City Council of hiding the project and their plans for more than six months and failed in their role as representatives.
“Had they been transparent, engaged the community and sought our input from day one, perhaps this strife could have been avoided and Sand Springs could be well on its way to a more suitable solution,” continued Schmidt. “Let this be a lesson to this Council and the leaders of any other community making secret deals for data center dollars: You still have to answer to the people who elected you. Do the right thing, and perhaps the whole community can come out on the other side with a win for all.”
The group’s website displayed an explanation of its purpose.
Lights, Noise, Pollution, NO!!
At Protect Sand Springs Alliance, we are dedicated to bringing together the voices of our community to vehemently oppose the City Council and the companies trying to ruin our beautiful community. Small communities across the entire country are being devastated by data centers and all of their negative effects being forced into their back yards with little to no input or recourse from the residents who suffer the consequences.