# Fairbanks Would Size a Data Center Like an 800-Seat Venue > The size line Fairbanks staff propose for data centers matches the code's rule for an entertainment facility with 800 or more seats. Published 2026-11-07 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-11-07/ ## The story A data center, sized like an 800-seat venue. Staff back the pause and a 40,000 size line. Ordinance 2026-42 would bar land use permits for large-scale data centers through December 31st, 2027. Planning staff recommend approval with two amendments. Count gross floor area, and cut the size trigger from 50,000 to 40,000 square feet. The new line is borrowed from the code's big-venue rule. Title 18 already defines large scale development. An entertainment facility counts past 40,000 square feet with 800 or more seats. Staff expect data centers to be similar in size and impact. The borrowed rule covers the outside. Title 18 standards for large scale development address building aesthetics, maintenance and parking lot design. According to the staff report, commenters want rules for water and air quality, power and water supply, noise, vibrations and size. "Our largest concern is that nobody asked us." Same shell. Servers instead of pallets. Borough code has no definition for a data center and lists it as a use in no zone. Warehouse, a use staff say may be similar, is listed in three. The draft plan calls data centers warehouse-type facilities. Two of its three tests measure power. A data center is large at 5 MW of peak demand, at 5 MW of onsite generation, or past the floor area line. Section 4 orders a study of energy, air, water and noise, due within six months. Tuesday recommends. The Assembly hears it later. Staff cite a precedent. After the 2014 vote that legalized marijuana facilities, licensing took about 18 months and worked as a de facto moratorium. Square feet or megawatts. Which should decide "large" in Fairbanks? ## What we verified - The Fairbanks North Star Borough Planning Commission meets on November 10th at 6:00 p.m. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Planning Commission (meeting agenda)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13383,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The meeting is in the Mona Lisa Drexler Assembly Chambers of the Juanita Helms Administration Center at 907 Terminal Street in Fairbanks. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Planning Commission (meeting agenda)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13383,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - Ordinance 2026-42, establishing a temporary moratorium on land use permits for large scale data centers, is item G.4 under public hearings on the November 10th agenda. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Planning Commission (meeting agenda)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13383,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - Mayor Hopkins sponsors Ordinance 2026-42 and Kellen Spillman is the staff contact. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Planning Commission (meeting agenda)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13383,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - Item G.3 on the same agenda is an ordinance adopting a major update of the borough's Regional Comprehensive Plan, sponsored by the Planning Commission. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Planning Commission (meeting agenda)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13383,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The agenda limits citizens' comments to three minutes. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Planning Commission (meeting agenda)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13383,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The staff report on Ordinance 2026-42 is from Kellen D. Spillman, Director of the Department of Community Planning. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The staff report is dated November 10th, the day of the hearing. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The staff report says the Assembly referred Ordinance 2026-42 to the Planning Commission on October 26th. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The ordinance's header records its referral to the Planning Commission as October 22nd. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly (Ordinance No. 2026-42, Attachment A in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-10-22. - The staff report describes the moratorium as pausing action on land use permits for large-scale data centers for approximately one year, to the end of 2027. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The Community Planning Department supports the ordinance as time to research, draft regulations and run a public process. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The staff report says data centers have become the most highly commented-on topic of the ongoing comprehensive plan update. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - Commenters raised water and air quality, power and water supply, noise, vibrations and size among their concerns. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The borough zoning code has no definition for data center. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - Data centers are not listed as a permitted or conditional use in any borough zone, and there are no supplemental standards for their impacts. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - Warehouse is an undefined use permitted or conditional in the General Commercial, Light Industrial and Heavy Industrial zones. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - Under Title 18 a large scale development includes a retail or wholesale building over 55,000 square feet of gross floor area. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - Title 18 also defines a large scale development as an entertainment facility over 40,000 square feet seating 800 or more people. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - Large scale developments have Title 18 standards for building aesthetics, maintenance and parking lot design. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - Staff cites a 2014 statewide ballot initiative that legalized marijuana facilities as a precedent. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The state marijuana licensing process took about 18 months from the vote to the first license and acted as a de facto moratorium, according to staff. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The staff report names the Municipality of Anchorage among places that have researched and passed data center regulations. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - Staff writes that the ordinance would pause any large-scale data center development until 2028 or until regulations are adopted. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - Staff says the ordinance sets a six month timeline for Community Planning to report to the Planning Commission. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The Community Planning Department has received inquiries about data centers potentially being developed in the borough. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - Staff recommends two amendments because large-scale developments and large-scale data centers are expected to be of similar size and impact. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The first amendment adds the word gross before floor area in the data center definition. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The second amendment lowers the floor area trigger from 50,000 to 40,000 square feet. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The Community Planning Department recommends approval of Ordinance 2026-42 with the two amendments. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Community Planning (staff report in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The ordinance's first trigger is an aggregate peak electrical demand of 5 MW or more. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly (Ordinance No. 2026-42, Attachment A in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-10-22. - The ordinance's second trigger is more than 50,000 square feet of floor area devoted to data center operations. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly (Ordinance No. 2026-42, Attachment A in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-10-22. - The ordinance's third trigger is onsite electrical generation with a capacity of 5 MW or more. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly (Ordinance No. 2026-42, Attachment A in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-10-22. - Section 3 keeps the moratorium in effect through December 31st, 2027, unless the Assembly ends or extends it by ordinance. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly (Ordinance No. 2026-42, Attachment A in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-10-22. - Section 4 directs a study of data center impacts on energy usage, air quality, water usage and water quality, and noise pollution. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly (Ordinance No. 2026-42, Attachment A in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-10-22. - Section 4 requires the study report and recommendations within six months of the ordinance taking effect. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly (Ordinance No. 2026-42, Attachment A in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-10-22. - The ordinance states the borough's Regional Comprehensive Plan was last updated in 2005. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly (Ordinance No. 2026-42, Attachment A in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-10-22. - The ordinance says the comprehensive plan update is expected to be finalized in early 2027. [Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly (Ordinance No. 2026-42, Attachment A in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-10-22. - The comprehensive plan draft describes data centers as industrial warehouse-type facilities that have long made up the physical infrastructure of the internet. [Fairbanks North Star Borough (Regional Comprehensive Plan, Planning Commission Draft, in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The draft says data centers can produce more noise than comparable warehouse facilities and could affect local power and water infrastructure. [Fairbanks North Star Borough (Regional Comprehensive Plan, Planning Commission Draft, in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The draft quotes the American Planning Association noting that data centers get slotted into broad zoning buckets even though they are packed wall-to-wall with servers instead of pallets. [Fairbanks North Star Borough (Regional Comprehensive Plan, Planning Commission Draft, in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The draft says data centers have drawn interest in Alaska because the favorable ambient air temperature for cooling gives developers a significant advantage. [Fairbanks North Star Borough (Regional Comprehensive Plan, Planning Commission Draft, in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The draft describes a process in which the Planning Commission recommends to the Assembly and the Assembly holds its own public hearing several weeks later. [Fairbanks North Star Borough (Regional Comprehensive Plan, Planning Commission Draft, in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - Draft Strategy 73B proposes using the conditional use permit process as an interim way to permit undefined uses until the zoning code has definitions and standards. [Fairbanks North Star Borough (Regional Comprehensive Plan, Planning Commission Draft, in Planning Commission packet)](https://fnsb.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13403,plainText=true)), primary document, 2026-11-10. - The University of Alaska Board of Regents met in Fairbanks on November 4th to 6th on the UAF campus. [University of Alaska System](https://www.alaska.edu/news/system/2026-ua-board-of-regents-november-board-meeting.php), primary document, 2026-11-03. - Chief Information Technology Officer Ben Shier was scheduled to share the latest version of UA's AI Engaged effort with the regents. [University of Alaska System](https://www.alaska.edu/news/system/2026-ua-board-of-regents-november-board-meeting.php), primary document, 2026-11-03. - AI Engaged establishes six guiding principles, four investment priorities and five system-wide expectations. [University of Alaska System](https://www.alaska.edu/news/system/2026-ua-board-of-regents-november-board-meeting.php), primary document, 2026-11-03. - In May the Board of Regents directed UA leadership to develop a cohesive strategy for the university's approach to AI. [University of Alaska System](https://www.alaska.edu/news/system/2026-ua-board-of-regents-november-board-meeting.php), primary document, 2026-11-03. - A Fairbanks town hall on data centers took place on October 29th at the Wedgewood Resort. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/nobody-asked-us-hundreds-of-alaskans-gather-for-data-center-town-hall-in-fairbanks/), report, 2026-11-03. - Alaska's News Source reported that about 150 Fairbanks residents attended the town hall. [Alaska's News Source (KTUU)](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/10/31/data-center-concerns-top-mind-fairbanks-town-hall/), report, 2026-10-30. - The Northern Alaska Environmental Center, a co-organizer, says nearly 200 people attended in person. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/nobody-asked-us-hundreds-of-alaskans-gather-for-data-center-town-hall-in-fairbanks/), report, 2026-11-03. - Organizers say more than 100 additional viewers joined the town hall through online livestreams. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/nobody-asked-us-hundreds-of-alaskans-gather-for-data-center-town-hall-in-fairbanks/), report, 2026-11-03. - Sarah Hollister, who helped organize the town hall, said our largest concern is that nobody asked us. [Alaska's News Source (KTUU)](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/10/31/data-center-concerns-top-mind-fairbanks-town-hall/), report, 2026-10-30. - Alaska's News Source reported that legislators Scott Kawasaki, Maxine Dibert, Mike Prax and David Guttenberg were among the attendees. [Alaska's News Source (KTUU)](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/10/31/data-center-concerns-top-mind-fairbanks-town-hall/), report, 2026-10-30. - The town hall was billed as Nobody Asked Us, an Alaska town hall about data centers, AI and tax dollars. [Northern Alaska Environmental Center](https://northern.org/news/nobody-asked-us-hundreds-of-alaskans-gather-for-data-center-town-hall-in-fairbanks/), report, 2026-11-03. - Two UAA associate professors wrote in the Anchorage Daily News that Anthropic's Claude generated the initial draft of UA's AI plan. [Anchorage Daily News (opinion, Gregory Hartley and Joel Potter)](https://www.adn.com/opinions/2026/11/03/opinion-who-wrote-uas-ai-plan-a-chatbot-did/), report, 2026-11-04. - Five UA faculty replied in the Anchorage Daily News that AI use in drafting the plan was not concealed. [Anchorage Daily News (opinion, Carroll, Cason, Ryan, Harnish and Trochim)](https://www.adn.com/opinions/2026/11/05/opinion-humans-not-robots-shaped-uas-approach-to-ai/), report, 2026-11-05. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page.