Now is the time to achieve the impossible.

“They did not know it was impossible, so they did it.”

It’s a quotation often misattributed to Mark Twain. Whoever said it, this is the spirit that infuses this final week of the Democracy Before Developers campaign.

Click here to find out how to sign the petition

Over the past 49 days, almost 3,000 Worthington residents have signed the petition in this unprecedented effort to get a referendum on the 2027 ballot. The goal is simple: give voters a voice and a choice on an important land use issue that impacts traffic, taxes, sewers & stormwater, and more.

If this is successful, and we believe it will be, they will have done the impossible: this will be the first referendum effort in the entire state of Ohio to reach the 35% signature threshold the state legislature imposed on municipalities and townships last year.

The bar was set ridiculously high. The development industry lobbied for the 35% hurdle and celebrated it as a win. But residents from all over Worthington have stepped up. Volunteers have knocked on thousands of doors and residents have come to petition canopies in rain or shine. All just to get an issue on the ballot for a community-wide yes/no vote.

Now, we’re just one week away from the deadline to collect the final signatures needed. Here’s how you can help make history:

• If you’ve been meaning to stop by one of the blue canopies to sign, now is the time.
  Click here for canopy locations and times.
• If you’ve been thinking about getting involved by collecting some signatures yourself (even a few!), now is the time.
  Send an email to the campaign to get a petition, clipboard,  etc. info@democracybeforedevelopers.org
• If you already have a petition, make sure the signatures you’ve gathered get included in the count. Whether you’ve gotten 1, 10, or 100 signatures, the campaign needs your petition by Thursday, Sept. 17. Now is the time.
  Contact the campaign: info@democracybeforedevelopers.org

Our organization, PCPW, remains focused on its mission: a community-centered outcome at the former United Methodist Children’s Home (UMCH, 1033 High St.) property. However, Council’s re-zoning of the Boundless parcel from S-1 to PUD to enable a 246-unit apartment complex indicates what may lie ahead for UMCH—Council re-zoning a now-natural area even when there is overwhelming community opposition. And we know from the city’s planning documents that council will be discussing re-zoning much of Worthington early next year, including at UMCH.

By demonstrating that Worthington residents can and will take action to make our voices heard, we will ensure that there’s a very different discussion between the public and our City government going forward.

We are inspired by the determination of the Democracy Before Developers campaign to gather over 3,000 valid signatures. No matter where we live in Worthington, or where we stand on any development issue, we can all agree: the residents should have a say in big, permanent decisions that affect us all.

Now is the time to do the impossible. Together, we will get it done!

Get the fact sheet and additional info here:

Read resident Marty Shumway’s formal letter of opposition here:
https://democracybeforedevelopers.org/formal-opposition-letter-to-ordinance-19-2026/

About Project Community Park Worthington:

True to our city’s history, we advocate building a community-centered, mixed-use development at the singular and irreplaceable UMCH property:

• Centered on a large (18+ acres), vibrant public space with abundant amenities*, worthy of our extraordinary city—a place full of celebration, conversation, and recreation, full of natural wonder, full of music, full of joy, full of life.
• Enhanced and bounded by commerce (9-10 acres of commercial/office along High St.) and homes (3-5 acres of residential, preferably focused on senior living).
• For the enjoyment and well being of all—Worthington residents and visitors from near and afar, now and in perpetuity.

*Potential amenities: multi-use event facility, outdoor amphitheater, walking trails, athletic field, pollinator and community gardens, and a natural preserve along Tucker Creek suitable for educational purposes.

To learn more about the PCPW vision, please visit our website.

https://projectcommunityparkworthington.com

Realizing the Vision of a Worthington Commons – to inspire an alternative mixed-use vision for the UMCH property, for the enjoyment and well-being of all, now and in perpetuity.