• The proposal would apply to developments covering at least 50 acres, using more than 20MW of peak power or more than 500,000 gallons of water a day
  • Project Maple, a proposed 310-acre data-centre campus, is already on hold under Grove City's 12-month data-centre moratorium

The fact

Grove City, Ohio, is considering a charter amendment that would require a public vote before qualifying large developments can enter the city's normal planning process. The Community Consent Amendment would apply to projects covering at least 50 contiguous acres, using more than 20MW of electricity at peak demand or consuming more than 500,000 gallons of water a day. Voters are scheduled to decide the amendment on 3 November.

The proposal follows opposition to Project Maple, a 310-acre data-centre campus proposed south of Rensch Road. Headwaters Site Development submitted the preliminary development plan in May, but the application is now on hold under Grove City's 12-month data-centre moratorium. City Council is due to hold a special meeting on 3 September as it considers the amendment ahead of the ballot deadline.

The assessment

Grove City’s proposal would change the order in which large projects are approved. At present, a development moves through city staff, the Planning Commission and City Council, with residents able to comment during that process. Under the amendment, a qualifying project would first need an impact study, community meetings and approval from voters before the normal planning review could begin.

Project Maple would exceed the proposed 50-acre threshold on land size alone. If the amendment applies to it, Headwaters would therefore need to clear the public vote before the city considers the project through its usual planning process. The developer would have to decide how much design and utility work to advance before knowing whether voters will allow the project to proceed to that stage.

For BTW readers, the change is straightforward: residents would move from commenting on a large data-centre proposal to having an earlier yes-or-no vote on whether it enters planning at all. That does not mean such projects will be rejected, but it would add another approval risk before detailed review begins.

What to watch

Watch the 3 September council meeting for any changes to the amendment before the ballot deadline, followed by the 3 November vote. If it passes, Project Maple's treatment will be the first important test, particularly whether an application filed before the amendment must complete the new referendum process before normal planning can resume.