Fort Smith approves regulations for data centers
Fort Smith city directors approved new regulations governing future data center projects. The rules require approval from both the Planning Commission and City Directors, along with property walls and utility documentation showing electrical capacity and load.
Fort Smith City Directors approved regulations giving the Planning Commission and the board final approval authority over future data center projects. The rules also establish requirements for walls surrounding data center properties and require letters from public utilities detailing a facility’s electrical capacity and expected load.
The regulations allow city officials to impose additional requirements, including larger setbacks, taller walls and specific building facade standards, or to reject a proposal. The action follows two rounds of data center regulations adopted in Fayetteville. No specific data center project is currently known to be proposed in Fort Smith.