From what I understand, a site survey has to be done as part of the vpf approval process. Given that Carmike is said to have a number of screens that aren't 5.1, I'd bet this part is a matter of who you get to do the survey.
As for environmental issues, it might amount to the same thing, but the extra attention doesn't surprise me. After all, you are running your theatre with someone else's equipment... at least until it's paid off. That gave them the ability to put all the conditions on theatres that do VPFs.
Buy the stuff yourself and you can put it in your garage, for all they care.
As for the equipment "talking" to other parts, that's kind of a curious question... but yah, the server has to handshake with the projector... but that kind of goes along with the fact that they can talk to each other at all.
As for the speakers... the digital audio output from the server gets converted to analog by a separate converter or processor you'd buy, and it then goes to the amplifiers and speakers. Nothing much to keep watch over there. If it works at all, you probably don't need to think about it much.
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