Grove City Passes Charter Amendment Forcing Votes on Large Projects

Grove City residents approved Issue 28 on Tuesday, 54.61% of voters supporting the measure, according to unofficial results from the Franklin County Board of Elections. The city charter amendment mandates a citywide vote for any development exceeding a specific size threshold.

The ballot item was placed there by Protect Grove City, a grassroots group aiming to limit data center construction in the city. Save Grove City, an organization formed by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, opposed the amendment. They argued the language was too broad and could hinder local development.

Karen Church, an organizer for Protect Grove City, expressed gratitude for the high turnout. “We are extremely proud. We are extremely grateful for the residents of Grove City who showed up to make their voices heard because that's what Issue 28 has been all along,” Church said. She noted the vote is one step in many to ensure residents have input on projects that could alter the city.

Patricia Spillman, another organizer, described the result as emotional for her. Although she lives in Pleasant Township, her farm sits across the street from land a developer wants to convert into a data center campus. “I can't even begin to even vocalize how I feel, just knowing that the rest of Grove City came together and to back the township,” Spillman said. She added, “It's just now setting in with me that this actually passed and that we are going to have a voice through the neighbors that live in town.”

The outcome mirrors a statewide pattern where Ohio voters are pushing back against data center expansions. Several Ohio cities have recently banned such projects within their limits.

The amendment takes effect immediately upon certification. Future developments in Grove City exceeding the size limit will require a direct vote from city residents before construction begins.