Developers' suits challenging Smithfield RI data center ban
Hanton City Investments LLC & ROK LLC v. Town of Smithfield (R.I. Super. Ct. 2026) — Developers Sue Over Smithfield's Data Center Zoning Ban and Application Handling
Smithfield, RI · Hanton City Investments LLC & ROK LLC v. Town of Smithfield (R.I. Super. Ct., filed 2026)
- Status
- Blocked / in litigation
- Applies to
- Town of Smithfield, RI
- Enforced by
- Rhode Island Superior Court
Two property owners who want to build an industrial park with a data center in Smithfield, Rhode Island have sued the town. They say the town's ban on data centers in every zoning district is really an unlawful moratorium that conflicts with its comprehensive plan, and that the town improperly stalled their application.
Who is protected: Smithfield, RI residents (defending the ban)
Legal detail
Two R.I. Superior Court complaints by Hanton City Investments LLC and ROK LLC (counsel Nick Nybo) concerning a proposed development on the Route 7/116 corridor in the Planned Corporate (PC) district and Economic Growth Overlay District. Claims: (1) the data center ordinance (council vote 4-1 in May 2026; effective June 4, listing data centers 'Not Permitted' in every district as a 'precautionary, interim control') is a de facto moratorium that fails R.I. moratorium requirements and conflicts with the comprehensive plan, and cannot be applied to an application filed before it; (2) the town unlawfully delayed review by issuing repeated certificates of incompleteness. NOT ESTABLISHED: case numbers, filing dates.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Smithfield, RI |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Citation | Hanton City Investments LLC & ROK LLC v. Town of Smithfield (R.I. Super. Ct., filed 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Smithfield faces legal action over data center ban, project review — WPRI 12 (Oct. 1, 2026) |
More AI rules in Smithfield, RI
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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