Little Rock adopts ordinance setting standards for data centers after lengthy public hearing

The Little Rock City Board of Directors on June 2 adopted an ordinance setting local standards for large data-center development after an extended presentation from Google and hourly public comment from residents concerned about water, wetlands, noise and transparency.

Google public-affairs lead Lurel Brown told the board the company is still in early due diligence and that "no dirt is moving anytime soon," describing ongoing engineering, environmental and utility studies. Brown said Google would resubmit a wetlands permit to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, would not use groundwater for cooling at the site and has posted a project website, littlerockdatacenter.com, to share updates.

The company and utility partners presented technical points intended to address residents’ concerns. Ryan Benfield of the Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority said the city’s Fush Creek wastewater plant treats 16 million gallons per day capacity and currently operates near 8 million gallons per day, adding there is additional capacity to accept industrial wastewater if the applicant funds required improvements. Central Arkansas Water CEO Tad Bohannan told the board the city’s lakes and treatment infrastructure provide substantial storage and that any distribution infrastructure to serve the site would be paid for by the developer.

Residents and neighborhood groups urged the board to delay or block the project, citing potential impacts on local wetlands and natural areas, uncertain long-term water and electrical demand, and the health effects of continuous operation. Jenny Nerissi told the board she had worked in the nearby woodland foraging and teaching and said the prospect of clearing an 8-mile stretch of land was "a little insulting," while another speaker, Lewis Ballard, urged the board to prioritize pedestrian safety after a family tragedy unrelated to the data-center agenda.

Directors questioned Google and utility representatives about the regulatory path and public input opportunities. Brown said multiple state and federal reviews remain, including Corps wetlands review and public comment windows for energy contracts and permitting. Energy Arkansas described a "fair share plus" sequencing used elsewhere to require customers to bear infrastructure costs and to secure additional community benefits.

The ordinance adopted by the board adds local zoning standards and monitoring and reporting requirements to govern data centers sited in industrial zones; the transcript records the adoption by voice vote after the third reading. The public record excerpt does not show a numerical roll-call tally for the final vote.

What happens next: Google and the utilities will proceed through technical studies and state and federal permitting processes. Several residents and community groups said they will continue to press for additional safeguards, independent environmental assessments and more public transparency as those reviews proceed.