Civic Brief: Hill Farm II East Reserve “E” (Docket PZ-26-62 / Resolution 26-R-101)

Civic Intelligence & Corridor Tracking: Alton Darby / Big Darby Accord

Public Hearing / Action Date: Hilliard City Council | October 26, 2026 (Following Planning & Zoning approval on October 8, 2026)

The Big Picture

While residential phases often move through city hall in 20-lot increments, the conservation side of Hilliard’s western growth just marked its largest single milestone to date.

Under Resolution 26-R-101 (initiating from Planning & Zoning Commission Case PZ-26-62), City Council is set to formally accept the Final Plat for Hill Farm II East Reserve “E” at 4427 Elliott Road. The action officially transfers 80.932 contiguous acres of open space and parkland to the public domain, alongside a 3.674-acre public right-of-way dedication to support the eventual widening and multi-use path improvements along Elliott Road.

The Land & Infrastructure Breakdown

The plat covers a gross area of 84.606 acres on the west side of Elliott Road, roughly 1,500 feet north of Scioto Darby Road (carved entirely out of Franklin County Parcel 053-000321):

• Reserve “E” Parkland (80.932 Acres): Note “E” on the recorded plat explicitly mandates that this reserve will be owned and maintained by the City of Hilliard, Ohio or Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks specifically for public parkland and open space.
• Elliott Road Right-of-Way (3.674 Acres): Rather than keeping property lines at the ditch line, the developer is dedicating over 3.6 acres of frontage to Hilliard, providing the physical footprint needed to expand Elliott Road from a rural cross-section into a modern civic roadway with pedestrian trails.
• Floodplain Realities: Under Note “A” of the plat, portions of Reserve “E” sit inside FEMA Zone “A” (100-year annual chance floodplain), while the upland sections sit within Zone “X”. This designation ensures the low-lying drainage channels buffering the Big Darby Watershed are permanently insulated from residential paving.
• Fiscal Outlay: The city administration confirmed zero direct capital expenditure associated with accepting the dedication. The developer bears the entire cost of surveying, civil engineering, and plat recording as part of their baseline zoning commitments.

Master Plan Context: Delivering on the 186-Acre Accord

When City Council approved Ordinance 25-06 in March 2025—rezoning roughly 272 acres from Rural Residential (R-R) to Hilliard Conservation District (HCD)—the central policy compromise was density clustering. The developer was allowed to build up to 200–300 single-family home sites on smaller lots (minimum 8,450 sq. ft.) in exchange for setting aside a massive 186 acres of permanent open space under the Big Darby Area Watershed Master Plan (BDAWMP).

Prior approvals for Hill Farm II East chipped away at this balance in modest chunks:

• Section 1 (PZ-25-64): 45 lots + 11.262 acres open space
• Section 2, Phase 1 (PZ-26-39): 22 lots + 7.462 acres open space
• Section 2, Phase 2 (PZ-26-45): 19 lots
• Section 2, Phase 3 (PZ-26-46): 23 lots + 0.604 acre open space

Dedicating 80.932 acres in a single instrument fulfills nearly half of the entire master development’s open space obligation at once, linking fragmented pockets into a regional conservation corridor.

GoHilliard Take: When Conservation Commitments Turn into Actual Deeds

It is easy to be skeptical of large master-planned communities. Too often across Central Ohio, developers negotiate density bonuses upfront by promising future “green space,” only for residents to discover years later that the promised parkland is little more than inaccessible retention ponds behind private fences.

Hill Farm II East Reserve “E” is how conservation zoning is supposed to work.

This is not a private, fenced-off HOA retention swale. By formally deeding 81 contiguous acres to the City of Hilliard or Metro Parks, this tract becomes permanent public parkland. It creates a physical, unbuildable green buffer directly protecting the environmentally sensitive Big Darby Watershed while tying into the regional park system.

Equally important for taxpayers is the 3.674-acre right-of-way dedication along Elliott Road. Anyone who drives Elliott Road today knows it is a narrow, rural two-lane strip without shoulders. By securing the necessary public right-of-way now—without dipping into city capital funds for eminent domain or land acquisition—Hilliard positions itself to build future turn lanes, bike paths, and trail connections as traffic increases.

The Planning & Zoning Commission approved the plat unanimously on October 8, and City Council should adopt Resolution 26-R-101 without hesitation. When developers build homes in sensitive watershed districts, the public must receive the infrastructure and preservation it was promised. Handing over the deed to 81 acres of permanent green space is a concrete promise kept.