Community Consent Amendment Overview The Amendment FAQ Volunteer Guide Signing Events
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Community Consent Amendment

The permanent check.
Not just a moratorium.

The moratorium bought us time. The Community Consent Amendment makes the protection permanent, locked in the City Charter, changeable only by a vote of the people. A developer can't build a project this massive without asking you first.

Find a Signing Event → Read the Amendment

Why This Matters

Not every large-scale project is bad. Some bring real jobs, real investment, real partnerships. We’re not trying to lock those out.

What we’re trying to stop is the developer who shows up with a great PowerPoint, schmoozes the right people, gets approved before anyone knows what happened, and leaves the community holding the bag for decades. We’re seeing that play out in cities all over the country right now.

The Community Consent Amendment actually gives good-faith developers something valuable: a direct path to community buy-in. If your project is genuinely good for Grove City, make your case to the people who live here. Win their vote. Now you’re not just permitted. You’re welcomed. That’s a stronger foundation than a council approval any day.

The Three Triggers

Cross any one of these lines.
The community gets a vote.

The thresholds are set high on purpose. Your doctor’s office, your favorite restaurant, the new retail center down the street... none of them come close. We’re talking about truly massive industrial projects.

A project only needs to hit ONE of these three thresholds to trigger the requirement.

≥ 20 MW
Electrical Demand
OR
≥ 500K
gal/day
Water Consumption
OR
≥ 50
acres
Total Project Footprint
✓ Mt. Carmel Grove City Hospital (~37 acres) - NOT triggered.
✗ Proposed data center campus (~310 acres) - TRIGGERED.

What’s in the Package

More than just a vote.

Community Rights & Process

  • Mandatory referendum (100% developer funded)
  • Voice for impacted people outside the city proper
  • Independent impact study required before the vote
  • Decommissioning fund required before operating
  • Baseline protections: can be tightened but not relaxed
  • Anti-circumvention rule: can’t split projects to dodge the thresholds
  • Conflict of interest recusal for officials
  • Amendment can only be repealed by voters

Ongoing Oversight & Enforcement

  • Noise, light & vibration standards (baseline-tied)
  • Independent firm measures compliance
  • Quarterly compliance reporting, all public
  • Civil penalties up to $500K per day
  • Cease-and-desist authority
  • Half of fines go to a community remediation fund
  • Resident private right to sue
Signatures Needed
Targeting 2,500
Collection Deadline
July 2, 2026
Filing Deadline
August 3, 2026
Can the Mayor Veto?
No. Voters decide.

We’ve Heard It All

The pushback. And the answers.

These are the five most common objections you’ll hear. Click any one to see the straight answer.

The Answer The amendment only affects projects above very specific thresholds: 50 acres, 20 MW of power, or 500,000 gallons of water per day. Restaurants, retail, offices, medical facilities, small manufacturers... none of them come close. Grove City stays wide open for business. A project the size of a small town should need community consent.
The Answer The task force and the amendment do completely different jobs, and Grove City needs both. The task force works within the existing system, recommending standards that City Council can adopt by ordinance. That’s valuable work. But ordinances can be amended or repealed by a future Council with different priorities. The amendment is a permanent floor that no Council can touch. It takes another vote of the people to change it. The task force decides how high to set the bar. The amendment makes sure there’s a bar at all.
The Answer The amendment was drafted by legal counsel specifically to anticipate court challenges, then reviewed and revised by independent counsel before circulation. It uses measurable impact thresholds rather than industry names, which is the legally strongest approach. Ohio home rule gives Grove City broad authority to regulate land use. And if opponents are so confident it won’t hold up, why are they working so hard to stop it from even reaching the ballot?
The Answer NIMBYism is “I don’t want that near me, period.” This is something completely different: “We’re willing to consider it, but the people who live here get to decide.” The amendment doesn’t ban anything. If a developer makes a compelling case and Grove City residents agree, the project moves forward. That’s not NIMBYism. That’s how democracy is supposed to work.
The Answer Here’s the plain version: this petition asks Grove City to let voters decide whether to add a rule to the City Charter. That rule says: before any project covering 50 or more acres, drawing more than 20 megawatts of power, or using more than 500,000 gallons of water per day can be approved, the residents of Grove City get to vote on it first. That’s it. You’re not approving or rejecting any specific project. You’re saying the people should get a vote. And a yes vote isn’t a blank check. The amendment locks in exactly what was approved. If the company wants to do more, they have to come back and ask again.

Before You Sign

Voter Resources

To sign the petition you must be a registered Grove City voter. Use these resources to check your registration, update your address, or find your ward.

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Ohio Secretary of State

Register, Update & Check

Register to vote, update your address, or check your current registration status with the Ohio Secretary of State.

Ohio SOS →
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Grove City

Find Your Ward

Look up your Grove City ward using the City’s official ward lookup tool. You’ll need this to confirm you live within Grove City boundaries before you sign.

Ward Lookup →

Everything You Need

CCA Resource Hub

Everything related to the Community Consent Amendment, in one place.

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Plain-language answers to everything residents want to know about the amendment, the thresholds, and what a yes vote actually means.

Read the FAQ →
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Legal Text

The Amendment

The full charter amendment text with optional plain-language annotations. Plus PDF downloads of both the plain and annotated versions.

Read the Amendment →
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Sign the Petition

Signing Events Schedule

Find a Protect Grove City volunteer near you. Upcoming signing events, locations, and times. Updated in real time by our volunteer team.

Find an Event →
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Volunteer

Volunteer Messaging Guide

Canvassing scripts, one-liners, and full pitch decks for volunteers. Everything you need to collect signatures and answer tough questions at the door.

Get the Guide →

The developer has lawyers, lobbyists, and money.

We have Grove City residents. Every signature gets us one step closer to putting this on the November ballot and letting every Grove City resident have their say.

Find a Signing Event → Support the Cause
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