There Is a New Sheriff in Town: Why Community Approval Now Rules Major Project Development

This is an image of Area Development's logo, which is in capital letters, with "Area" in red and "Development" in black.

8 Oct 2026


News

For years, the path to project approval ran through economic development offices, with discussions centered on capital investment and job creation. Once zoning and permitting approvals were in hand, financing was secured, and incentives were negotiated, success could be seen on the horizon.

Not anymore.

Today, there is a new sheriff in town—and it is not the mayor, county commission, planning department, or economic development agency. It is the community.

Click here to view the original article from Area Development.

More Topics

This is an image of the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Department's logo. The acronym "USDA" is in blue capital letters with swaths of green to represent fields. Additionally, the letters of "Rural Development" are in green.

USDA Rural Development Invests $25 Billion to Strengthen Rural Communities Nationwide

Oct 7 2026
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development recently announced nearly $25 billion in rural community investments nationwide in fiscal year 2026. These projects strengthen essential infrastructure, expand housing and business opportunities, and ensure rural families and farmers have the tools they need to succeed.In West Virginia, Rural Development invested more...
This is an image of the United States Department of Agriculture's logo. It features its acronym "USDA" in capital letters of blue and swaths of green to represent fields.

USDA Announces $180 Million Seed Sovereignty Initiative to Strengthen U.S. Agricultural Security

Oct 6 2026
Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced a $180 million investment to launch the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Seed Sovereignty Initiative, a major effort to both strengthen U.S. agricultural security by protecting the plant genetic resources that underpin American agriculture and enable breakthroughs in U.S. agricultural innovation.This...
This is an image of the Entrepreneur logo in white bold letters and a black background.

Social Media Collaboration Is One of the Most Powerful Growth Tools You’re Not Using Yet

Oct 5 2026
A client came to me not long ago with a problem that looked simple on the surface.Her business was good. Her customers loved her. Her content was consistent, and she had a following that engaged. But month after month, the needle barely moved. New customers were not coming in. The...