Grove City Voters Decide Fate of Data Center Restriction
Issue 28 would require city votes for large industrial projects, a measure supported by local residents and opposed by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.
By Bianca Ricci ·
Grove City residents will vote on Issue 28 in the upcoming election. The measure seeks to require a citywide vote for any development classified as heavy industrial. This includes projects that occupy at least 50 acres, draw over 20 megawatts of power, or use more than 500,000 gallons of water daily.
The initiative stems from a preliminary plan submitted by developer Headwaters in May. The company proposed annexing 310 acres southwest of the city to build a data center campus with at least six server warehouses. The site is directly across the street from the Spillman family farm, which has operated on the land since 1861.
Patricia Spillman declined to sell her 100-acre farm to Headwaters. She cited a recent sale of a 32-acre plot nearby for $1.5 million, or $46,875 per acre. Realtor Ryan Deeter noted that the median price for land parcels over 20 acres in Grove City was closer to $20,000 per acre in the last three years.
Spillman, along with Jen Belt and Karen Church, formed the group Protect Grove City. The coalition pushed for a permanent restriction after the city council passed a one-year moratorium in June. They worked with attorney Robert Dintaman to draft the Community Consent Amendment. The text deliberately avoids the term data center to avoid legal challenges based on industry discrimination.
City council members rejected proposed changes to the amendment in a close vote. Four of seven members declined to pass emergency legislation that would have allowed the modified text to be added in a single reading. Consequently, the original version of the Community Consent Amendment became Issue 28.
Opponents formed Save Grove City to fight the measure. Cassie Ferguson, a volunteer with the group, argued the amendment is too broad. She warned that a new high school project could be delayed if it triggers the voting requirement. The Ohio Chamber of Commerce supports the No on 28 campaign. Preliminary filings show Save Grove City raised $145,000 from eight donors, including $50,000 from the chamber and nearly $100,000 from construction contractor PACs. Protect Grove City raised just over $3,500 from 34 donors.
The vote will determine whether Grove City adopts the Community Consent Amendment into its charter. If passed, the city will require resident approval for future projects meeting the heavy industrial thresholds. The measure is one of 21 data center related ballot initiatives in Ohio.
Source: WOSU-FM
