"Very little is locked in today." Ashville Village Council member Jesse Burke wrote that line in an October 8 column in the Circleville Herald, describing his own view of the EdgeConneX data center agreement. He said it was not an official position of Council. Less than four weeks later, Ashville voters repealed that agreement by a wide margin. According to Scioto Post, 1,468 voters, or 81.65%, voted "No" on Resolution 06-2026 on November 3, and 330 voted "Yes."
If you're comparing Ashville with other towns south of Columbus, you might read that result as the end of the project. It wasn't. The vote removed a framework document that bound very little. EdgeConneX says data center construction is continuing under permits it already holds. Whether the 800-megawatt power plant gets built, which protections neighbors get, and whether the largest remaining payment reaches the village now depend on two state agencies. The first of those decisions is expected within days of this post.
What the Vote Repealed, Line by Line
Resolution 06-2026 approved a Development and Supply Agreement Term Summary between the village and EdgeConneX. It covered two data center buildings and a natural gas Energy Center. The Village of Ashville's project page describes it as "the framework for negotiating a final agreement." The Ohio Supreme Court's opinion that put the measure on the ballot described the term sheet as generally nonbinding, apart from a few specific provisions. Those included the exemption from the village's data center moratorium and a best-efforts commitment on permits.
Here is where each piece stands as of mid-November:
| Piece of the project | Where it stands after November 3 |
|---|---|
| Term summary framework, Resolution 06-2026 | Repealed by referendum |
| Exemption from the village data center moratorium | Repealed with the resolution |
| Up to $102 million in support, plus a possible $74 million tied to future annexation | Burke says these figures were meant for a separate Development and Supply Agreement that Council never approved |
| Zoning permit ZR-2025-66 | Burke calls its standing apart from the resolution a question for the village's attorneys |
| EdgeConneX construction permits | Already held, with work begun, per POLITICO |
| $3.5 million donation | Received by the village on October 8, 2026 |
| 800 MW Ashville Energy Center | Pending before the Ohio Power Siting Board |
| Air permit for the power plant | A separate Ohio EPA decision |
The table explains why the company is still moving. POLITICO reported on November 8 that EdgeConneX already had its construction permits, had started work, and said the election outcome would not stop the project. In the same article, Dan Diorio of the Data Center Coalition said, "It complicates things enormously."
The path to the ballot was long. Council first tried to pass Resolution 06-2026 under an emergency clause, which would have skipped the usual 30-day waiting period. Pickaway Strong Advocacy collected 669 verified signatures. On August 7, 2026, the Ohio Supreme Court unanimously ordered the measure onto the November ballot, as Scioto Post recounted. A separate council effort to repeal the resolution, Resolution 16-2026, died on October 5 when no one seconded it, according to the Circleville Herald.
The Protections Neighbors Want Arrive Only With an Approval
Most of the enforceable limits on the power plant would exist only if the state approves it.
The power plant is Ohio Power Siting Board case 26-196-EL-BGN, filed by PowerConneX, Inc. The board describes the Ashville Energy Center as a natural gas plant on about 110 acres with up to 800 megawatts of capacity, built to power the data center next to it. The village joined the case as a party and signed a Joint Stipulation filed September 4. Burke wrote that it recommends more than 40 conditions, and that "those conditions only become enforceable if the OPSB issues a certificate and adopts them." If the board adopts them, they stay with the certificate even if the facility changes hands.
According to his column, the proposed conditions include:
- Water use across the full site capped at 50,000 gallons a day, with no industrial wastewater, and the applicant paying for its own utility extensions
- Sound limits at neighboring properties, a new sound study once the plant is running, a complaint program with quarterly reports, limits on construction hours, and no blasting
- Traffic and transportation plans required before construction begins
- A final emergency plan built with Harrison Township Fire and other responders, plus a fire department override on the site gates
- Output capped at 800 megawatts, with no connection to the power grid unless the board gives new approval and the village gets written notice
The largest sum still under discussion is tied to the same approval. Burke wrote that the stipulation proposes up to $35 million toward the storm and sanitary sewer separation that Ohio EPA already requires of the village. The money would be paid in stages tied to the certificate. The stipulation also proposes $1 million for the Parks and Recreation Enterprise Fund and $2.5 million in village capital. Those last two figures add up to $3.5 million, the same amount the village says it received on October 8. The village has allocated that money as $1 million for parks and recreation, $700,000 for wastewater pump station upgrades, and $1.8 million for engineering on the South Metershed Project, which addresses inflow and infiltration problems under EPA findings and orders.
The village also hired its own consultant, GAI, to review the project. Burke wrote that GAI's final report, delivered October 7, found no "showstoppers" and no apparent evidence of significant air or noise impacts, based on the information GAI was given. The same report said several areas lacked enough data to confirm that conclusion. For example, he wrote that the developer's noise study does not list the homes, schools and churches within a mile of the site, and does not address nighttime noise.
The Calendar Now Runs Through Columbus
The public part of the state review is over. The board held a local public hearing in Ashville on August 19, and the evidentiary hearing was scheduled for September 9 at the Public Utilities Commission offices on East Broad Street in Columbus. Greg Bolla follows the case in his Mammal and a Keyboard newsletter. He wrote that the hearing took place on September 9 and 10, that initial briefs were due September 25, and that reply briefs were due October 13. He also reported that the board's staff recommended approval and joined the stipulation.
Under House Bill 15, the board must decide within 150 days of finding an application complete. By Bolla's count, the clock started June 25, which puts the deadline at November 22. That is three days after this post goes up. The board can accept the conditions, change them, add to them, or deny the certificate.
If you're weighing a home near the site, these are the open items to watch, roughly in order:
- The board's decision on case 26-196-EL-BGN, expected around November 22, and which of the 40-plus conditions it adopts, changes or adds
- Ohio EPA's draft air permit. Burke wrote that when it is released, there will be a public comment period and a public hearing can be requested.
- Zoning permit ZR-2025-66. Whether it stands without Resolution 06-2026 is a legal question for the village's attorneys.
- The village's EdgeConneX project page, where Council has posted the resolutions and the donation details
The term summary identifies the site as Pickaway County parcel D1300350000100, about 195.368 acres. In a presentation to Council, EdgeConneX proposed SR 752 as primary access, subject to approvals. The Circleville Herald covered that presentation.
The Market Buyers Are Negotiating In Meanwhile
The latest monthly figures cover all of Pickaway County, not just Ashville. They come from the Columbus REALTORS September 2026 Local Market Update, which was current as of October 8. In September 2026, the county's median sales price was $346,120, down from $373,558 in September 2025. Homes took 44 days to sell, compared with 27 a year earlier. Sellers received 94.7% of their original list price on average.
The year-to-date numbers tell a calmer story. Through September 2026, the county median was $349,900, up 1.4%. There were 591 closed sales, about the same as the 589 a year earlier. The September dip comes from 77 sales in a single month, and the report itself warns that small samples can make percent changes look extreme. At the end of September, the county had 171 homes for sale and 2.5 months of supply. That still favors sellers, but buyers have more time to decide than they did a year ago.
Because these figures cover the whole county, they show nothing specific about streets near the site. What they do show is room to negotiate. Homes are taking longer to sell and selling further below their original asking price. That gives buyers time to wait for the state's decisions before committing near SR 752. The board's decision, and later the air permit comment period, will be public record, which helps buyers and sellers alike.
Quick Answers
Did the referendum cancel the data center? No. The vote repealed Resolution 06-2026 and its moratorium exemption. According to POLITICO, EdgeConneX already held its construction permits and says it will keep building.
Does the village have to return the $3.5 million? The village says it received the donation on October 8, 2026, and has already allocated it. Its announcement does not describe any condition tied to the referendum.
Where is the public record for the power plant? On the Ohio Power Siting Board's page for case 26-196-EL-BGN. The board's decision and any adopted conditions will be posted to that case.
This post is general information about public processes, not legal or financial advice. If a pending permit or zoning question affects a property you're considering, confirm the details with an attorney or other qualified professional.
Kim Kovacs and Partners is following the Ashville Energy Center case and the Ohio EPA review as they unfold. If you own a home in Ashville and want to know how these decisions could affect your sale, start with a free home valuation built on current Pickaway County sales.
