Data Center Appeal Withdrawn in Fayetteville, the “Power of the People”

A proposed data center north of Fayette Pavilion will not move forward after the developer formally withdrew its appeal just one day before a scheduled City Council hearing.

Crow Holdings Development and CHI/Acquisitions, LP had appealed a January denial by the Fayetteville Planning & Zoning Commission, which voted against the project following a site plan presentation on January 27. The appeal had been set for consideration at the March 19 City Council meeting.

City officials confirmed Wednesday that the developer officially withdrew that appeal on March 18, removing the item from the council’s agenda.

The project had drawn attention in recent weeks as council members prepared to weigh whether to overturn the Planning & Zoning Commission’s decision. The proposed data center was planned for a site along Highway 85 North, just beyond the Fayette Pavilion shopping center.

Councilman Emmett Spurlock said in a text to The Citizen, “I believe the people have spoken and CHI listened. If CHI made their decision to withdraw their appeal based entirely or partially on the town hall that we had, then it shows the power of the people. As for the future of data centers in Fayetteville, we implemented a moratorium a few weeks ago to stop the building of any more data centers in our city.”

The withdrawal comes after the City of Fayetteville took broader action on data centers. Besides the enacted moratorium on new data center development, they enacted changes to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) on March 5, which will make data centers no longer a possibility. 

With the appeal withdrawn and the ordinance now in place, the proposed project cannot proceed as a data center.

The withdrawal leaves the commission’s original denial in place and closes out the current approval process. It is not yet clear what, if anything, will be proposed for the site moving forward.