Fayetteville City Council members passed an ordinance requiring data centers to undergo a conditional use review before a development can be approved. The new rules aim to preserve and protect the public health, safety, welfare, and property of residents.

Regulations and Concerns

According to the ordinance, violations of the conditional use permit can lead to it being revoked. Developers must disclose the center’s anticipated water use, electricity demand, utility capacity, and potential environmental impacts. Data centers can use significant amounts of water and electricity to store and process digital information.

Residents of Fayetteville spoke out at the meeting, expressing concern about the future development of data centers and questioning how these rules will be enforced. The new rules also mandate that a data center be built at least 1,000 feet away from any zoning district that allows residential use.

Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.