November 29, 200816 yr Planned 'town center' development Future homeowners may pay to save creek Officials weigh taxes, surcharge to fund plan to shield Big Darby Saturday, November 29, 2008 2:55 AM By Mark Ferenchik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH A few years from now, if you build a house in the new urban "town center" envisioned near Big Darby Creek, you might have to pay $2,500 more than you would for a similar house built elsewhere. Part of your property taxes would pay for measures to protect the environmentally sensitive creek, such as buying land to preserve open space and building sewers. And you might have to pay an additional property tax of up to 10 mills to provide even more money for those improvements and environmental protections. Those are among some of the plans that officials have devised to finance public improvements and protections for the 84-square-mile Darby watershed, while drawing a map for how western Franklin County will evolve for the next 30 years. Read more at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/11/29/copy/DARBYPLAN.ART_ART_11-29-08_B1_9TC2R09.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
April 15, 200916 yr Big Darby deals OK'd Franklin County seeks to balance protection, development Wednesday, April 15, 2009 3:18 AM By Barbara Carmen, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Franklin County commissioners approved deals yesterday to protect the scenic Big Darby Creek while accommodating nearby development. Members of the Big Darby Accord, made up of officials from area governmental jurisdictions, began planning in 2006 to protect the 84-square-mile watershed in Franklin County, but the deals approved yesterday provide the means to raise money and hire people to put the plans into action. James R. Schimmer, director of the Franklin County Department of Economic Development and Planning told commissioners their votes would be "historic. It sets the course for the future development in the Darby." Read more at http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/04/15/commiss15.ART_ART_04-15-09_B1_KDDICEK.html?sid=101
April 20, 200916 yr Big Darby still ‘puzzle’ for builders Business First of Columbus - by Kevin Kemper Friday, April 17, 2009 Since 2004, 10 governments in Franklin County have been working on a land use and preservation strategy for the Big Darby Creek watershed, a large swath of land on the county’s western edge that runs from Heritage Trail Metro Park in Hilliard south to the Franklin-Pickaway county border. Designated a State and National Scenic River, the Big Darby is home to 38 federally listed species of fish and aquatic life. And the Nature Conservancy, an Arlington, Va.-based conservation organization, designated the area in 1991 as one of the last great places in the Western Hemisphere. MORE: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/04/20/story4.html
April 23, 200916 yr Big Darby Accord news within the weekly round-up of Columbus City Council coverage from the Dispatch. The headline and story focused on City Council allowing the demolition of the vacant City Center Mall. But at the end of the story was the following Columbus City Council action on the Big Darby Accord... Council clears Capitol South plan to demolish City Center "In other business last night, council members approved the city's participation in the Big Darby Accord, a regional pact to guide development along the scenic Big Darby Creek in western Franklin County. The Franklin County commissioners approved the agreement last week. As part of the accord, Columbus will provide sewer and water service to parts of Prairie Township without requiring residents to be annexed into the city. It's an exception to long-standing city policy." http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/04/21/copy/council21.ART_ART_04-21-09_B1_S0DK7U2.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
June 21, 200915 yr Big Darby protection efforts get a boost Metro Parks purchases Hellbranch Run acres to restore wetlands Wednesday, June 17, 2009 By Steven Bushong, The Columbus Dispatch Nearly 200 acres of farmland in the Big Darby Creek watershed will be restored as wetlands by the Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District. The district recently bought the land near Hellbranch Run for $1.9 million and said the land will provide a natural buffer, filtering storm-water runoff between suburban development in Hilliard and the Big Darby Creek. Since 1997, the district and its partners -- Columbus and Prairie Township -- have bought 334 acres along the Hellbranch. Metro Parks also has purchased hundreds of acres in the area, beginning in 1948. In all, Metro Parks owns more than 8,000 acres in the watershed. John Tetzloff, a member of the environmental group the Darby Creek Association, said the most recent purchase is significant. "Instead of getting sediment and fertilizer and pesticides in the stream, you'll get clean water," he said. Other groups, including the Nature Conservancy and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, have already bought land in the watershed to boost preservation efforts. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/06/17/hellbranch.ART_ART_06-17-09_B1_2EE6VLC.html?sid=101
November 16, 200915 yr Seven Franklin County projects designed to restore, repopulate streams, wetlands Sunday, November 15, 2009 By Spencer Hunt, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH For children playing in Columbus' Franks Park, Clover Groff Run was nothing more than a slimy, algae-choked ditch and a hazard for wayward soccer balls. With the help of bulldozers and about $1.5 million, a crew of environmental engineers is transforming a 1-mile section of the ditch south of Hilliard into a wetlands-flanked, sinuous stream populated with fish, frogs and insects. "A lot of these restoration projects have been done in the past 10 to 12 years in the more rural areas of Ohio," said Brad Westall, greenways planner for the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department. "Creating habitat is important for the urban areas as well." Franks Park is one of seven restoration projects that are planned or under way, including: • A restored half-mile stretch of the Hellbranch, which was diverted more than 30 years ago to make room for I-71. • Two projects that created 250 acres of wetlands near Big Darby Creek in Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park. • A planned half-mile restoration of Clover Groff at Hilliard's Latham Park. • A 1.1-mile stretch of Clover Groff, south of Franks Park and Roberts Road, which should be restored in 2010. MAP OF PROJECTS Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/11/15/Darbyrestore.ART_ART_11-15-09_B1_MBFM6AE.html?sid=101
November 30, 200915 yr Hilliard's definition of 'open space' spurs Big Darby debate Monday, November 23, 2009 By Mark Ferenchik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The fate of Big Darby Creek might come down to how a group of people define the term open space. On one side is the city of Hilliard, which says it wants to protect the creek as well as development opportunities. On the other are environmental groups that say the city is stretching the definition too far. The Big Darby Accord, created in 2006, lays out standards for protecting the environmentally diverse creek through Franklin County. The accord calls for leaving open space to limit runoff from roads and buildings, including homes and businesses. Environmental groups say that open space is environmentally protected land with natural vegetation. Hilliard officials say that open space can be undeveloped property that includes soccer or baseball fields, tree islands in a parking lot and storm-water retention ponds. An advisory council is meeting to set a definition that everyone can agree on. Some believe that Hilliard's view of open space shows it isn't committed to the accord. Full article: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/11/23/copy/HILLIARDDARBY.ART_ART_11-23-09_B1_A9FP4QR.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
December 18, 200915 yr Crooked creeks: Restoration projects help reduce pollution, reintroduce sensitive species to streams Sunday, December 13, 2009 By Spencer Hunt and Tom Baker THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Restoring a stream to its natural course is not an easy job. It takes land, planning and money. But the results can help reduce pollution caused by years of development, agriculture and industry. In central Ohio, the city of Columbus, Franklin County Metro Parks, the Ohio Nature Conservancy and others will spend more than $6 million on seven projects designed to restore sections of Big Darby Creek and its tributaries. GRAPHIC: STREAM RESTORATION PROCESS STREAM RESTORATION SLIDESHOW Full article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/science/stories/2009/12/13/sci_restore_intro.ART_ART_12-13-09_G3_IDFURGN.html
June 7, 201015 yr Big Darby adviser unhappy with Hilliard development plan Wednesday, June 2, 2010 - 2:51 AM By Dean Narciso THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH A member of the Big Darby Accord Advisory Panel is at odds with a proposed plan to build homes near an environmentally sensitive watershed in Hilliard. John Tetzloff has said that Hilliard development officials have not heeded the group's suggestions for Alton Commons and the Square at Latham Park development, which will include housing, office and retail in southwest Hilliard. Hilliard and nine other communities make up the Big Darby Accord, which is charged with preserving the Darby watershed. And while the city also has pledged to protect the area, it notes that the suggestions of the Big Darby Accord Advisory Panel are not legally binding. Clyde "Butch" Seidle, the city's engineer and also a member of the panel, verified that some of the protected land will be built on, but only because the ditches and streams leading to the Big Darby Creek will be restored. PROJECT LOCATION MAP Full article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/06/02/homes-project-in-dispute.html?sid=101
February 21, 201114 yr Land donation lets city reshape Far West Side ditch Quality of runoff flowing to Big Darby is concern Tuesday, February 15, 2011 By Doug Caruso, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH This spring, Columbus will begin turning a line-straight agricultural ditch that feeds Big Darby Creek into a meandering, tree-lined stream. Last night, the Columbus City Council approved accepting a donation of 22 acres on the Far West Side along the Clover Groff Run, formerly called the Clover Groff Ditch. Schottenstein Homes turned over the land so it can receive storm-water runoff permits from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The developer needs the permits for an apartment complex under construction across Roberts Road in Hilliard, said Brad Westall, greenways coordinator for the city's Recreation and Parks Department. "We're going to completely restore this straight-line ditch to a natural stream channel," Westall said. "It will have lots of meanders, a gravel cobble bed, and hundreds of new trees and native shrubs and what we call warm-season grasses, more typical wet-prairie grasses. We will have that done by the end of this summer." The 22 acres are on a strip about 200 feet wide that runs for a half-mile south from Roberts Road along the west bank of Clover Groff. The restoration project will cover a total of 1.25 miles of the stream, Westall said. The waterway is part of the Big Darby Accord, which sets out goals for preserving open space and reducing runoff into the Big Darby, a national scenic river. MORE: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/02/15/copy/land-donation-lets-city-reshape-far-west-side-ditch.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
April 7, 201114 yr Clover Groff Ditch looks better, works better Saturday, April 2, 2011 - 10:35 AM By GARY BUDZAK ThisWeek Community Newspapers The new and improved Clover Groff Ditch in Hilliard appears to be working as intended, according to those who helped restore it. The Clover Groff is a tributary to Big Darby Creek, a state and national scenic river that is considered a "Last Great Place" by the Nature Conservancy. "It looked great upon completion," said Kyle Wilson, natural resource conservationist for Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, which administers the stream's conservation easement at Latham Park. "That's one of the good things about that style of restoration — when construction is completed and you walk away, you have a functioning system." Late last month, contractor Oxbow River and Stream Restoration Inc. gave a walking tour of the ditch at Latham Park. Along this section, the Clover Groff was restored to what it may have been like before it was deepened and straightened in the 1930s. Ditching the stream improved drainage for agricultural production, but it also removed the Clover Groff from its floodplain, impaired its ability to process sediment and pollutants, and affected its water quality. READ MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/west/stories/2011/04/02/clover-groff-ditch-looks-better-works-better.html?sid=104
April 8, 201114 yr Big Darby development plan downsized, moved Tuesday, April 5, 2011 By Mark Ferenchik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Plans for a town center near the Big Darby Creek no longer include an interchange at I-70 in western Franklin County, meaning the whole project is shifting south. A final draft plan for the concept would create a village of homes, stores and offices straddling W. Broad Street among the farm fields near the environmentally sensitive creek and its tributaries. Urban Design Associates of Pittsburgh, which spent almost two years on the $500,000 plan, eliminated an earlier idea for an interchange at I-70 west of the Hilliard-Rome Road exit that would provide a way in and out of the area. TOWN CENTER MASTER PLAN READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/04/05/big-darby-plan-downsized-moved.html?sid=101
April 10, 201114 yr BIG DARBY TOWN CENTER Community takes a look at plan Saturday, April 9, 2011 By CARLA SMITH ThisWeek Community Newspapers The impact of more housing — bringing with it more students — in the Hilliard and South-Western city school districts was one of the major concerns expressed about the Big Darby Town Center Master Plan at a public meeting April 5. Urban Design Associates, the design team in charge of the creation of the master plan for a massive planned development on the West Side, presented the final proposal to a crowd packing the Prairie Township Fire Station that night. The Town Center is to be developed within the Big Darby Accord Watershed in western Franklin County. It encompasses the western portion of Prairie Township and a southwest portion of Brown Township. The mixed-use development plan calls for the building of single-family homes and apartments, townhomes, 300,000 square feet of retail space and a hotel. READ MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/west/stories/2011/04/09/community-takes-a-look-at-plan.html?sid=104
August 20, 201113 yr Sour real-estate market clears way for creek-preservation purchases By Spencer Hunt, The Columbus Dispatch Monday, August 15, 2011 - 3:30 PM The real-estate industry has seen better days, but the state, Metro Parks and the Ohio Nature Conservancy remain eager investors in land near the Big and Little Darby creeks. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Metro Parks and Nature Conservancy have spent nearly $7.1 million since 2008 to buy and preserve 1029.5 acres of undeveloped land where water drains to the state and national scenic streams, which are home to 37 rare and endangered species of mussels and fish. The state has spent $2.36 million to buy 394 acres along the Little Darby in two areas just north and south of West Jefferson in Madison County. The money came largely from state and federal grants and annual fees collected from state scenic-river license plates. The Metro Parks have spent more than $4.5 million, including its own funds and grants, to buy 596 acres. That includes 85.5 acres in western Franklin County that it bought last year for $570,000 from the Nature Conservancy, said Steve Studenmund, the park system’s land-acquisition manager. The Metro Parks purchases have helped expand the Battelle Darby Creek and Prairie Oaks parks. Metro Parks now owns 9,047 acres in the Darby watershed, Studenmund said. The state owns a little more than 1,240 acres. The Nature Conservancy now owns about 954 acres. READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/08/15/sour-real-estate-market-clears-way-for-creek-preservation-purchases.html MAP OF LAND PURCHASES IN THE DARBY CREEK WATERSHED
November 29, 201113 yr More about the Darby Town Center planned within the Big Darby Accord Region in western Franklin County. Location map of the town center is at the article link: Darby Creek protections urged in development Environmental advocates want storm runoff managed By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch Friday, November 18, 2011 - 7:20 AM As the plan for concentrated development near Big Darby Creek makes the rounds among local governments, some environmental advocates say officials must take stronger steps to ensure the ecologically diverse stream is not harmed. The Big Darby Accord Advisory Panel conditionally approved the plan last month, pending revisions in the storm-water-management plan by jurisdictions or revisions in the state’s storm-water permit. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency approved a storm-water permit in 2006. The five-year permit expired in October, and the agency is renewing it. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/11/18/darby-creek-protections-urged-in-proposed-development.html
December 19, 201113 yr County officials OK Darby development Commissioners vow to protect creek from ecological damage By Lucas Sullivan, The Columbus Dispatch Thursday, December 15, 2011 - 5:20 AM Franklin County commissioners have approved a plan for concentrated residential and commercial development near Big Darby Creek, giving reassurance that they will protect the ecological health of the watershed. The plan calls for 3,780 residential units and a commercial town center to be developed over the next 30 years, mainly between I-70 and W. Broad Street in the western part of the county to keep pace with expected population growth. The county wants to link parcels totaling about 3,900 acres, connect water and sewer lines and have the development agreement in place in hopes of attracting a major developer. A key aspect in the development is preserving the watershed and the storm-water runoff into the creek. Commissioners on Tuesday stipulated that the plan needs a revised storm-water management plan that closely regulates the water levels in the creek to protect its inhabitants. To reduce storm-water runoff and its impact on Darby Creek, the county is proposing to leave about 1,200 of the 3,900 acres in the development as open space. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2011/12/15/county-officials-ok-darby-development.html
August 17, 201212 yr Housing plan near Big Darby is rejected by advisory panel Big Darby panel against high density of homes By Dean Narciso, The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday, August 15, 2012 - 8:18 AM The Big Darby Accord Advisory Board unanimously rejected a proposed Hilliard housing project yesterday, the first-ever denial by the 6-year-old board that is charged with controlling growth within the Darby Creek watershed. Hilliard presented details of the 700 units of single and multi-family housing on 418 acres on the city's western edge. The selling points included linking roads, parks, schools and bike trails as far west as Prairie Oaks Metro Park. But after more than three hours of questions, the board rejected the proposal by a 9-0 vote. The hearing was the first public rollout of the project, known as Heritage Preserve, which would be closer to Big Darby Creek than any other housing project, said John Talentine, Hilliard city planner. But the Big Darby Accord land-use plan recommends density for housing of just one dwelling per acre. The proposal called for two-thirds more homes than that, even though 56 percent of the development would be open space. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/08/15/housing-plan-rejected.html
August 17, 201212 yr ^ One of our greatest assets. Interesting note from wiki: The Big Darby Creek is one of the most biologically diverse aquatic systems in the Midwest.[2] It is the site of the only known population of the Scioto madtom, a fish which is now thought to be extinct.[3]
August 17, 201212 yr ^ One of our greatest assets. Interesting note from wiki: The Big Darby Creek is one of the most biologically diverse aquatic systems in the Midwest.[2] It is the site of the only known population of the Scioto madtom, a fish which is now thought to be extinct.[3] That last sentence doesn't make much sense. If the Scioto madtom is NOW thought to be extinct, how can the Big Darby have a population of them?
December 7, 201212 yr BIG DARBY TOWN CENTER Township, city to collaborate on master plan By Carla Smith, ThisWeek Community News Monday, December 3, 2012 - 10:35 AM Prairie Township trustees approved an agreement Nov. 28 with Franklin County and the city of Columbus that will assist in the implementation of the Big Darby town center master plan. "This would allow Columbus and the township in working out a strategy to recruit a master developer," township Administrator Tracy Hatmaker said. "We want the project to be done as a whole, not in parts and assure stormwater measures are properly put in place." One year ago, 10 jurisdictions that surround the Big Darby Creek and its tributaries adopted the Big Darby Town Center Plan. Such a collaboration of government entities was necessary to ensure responsible development within the Big Darby Creek watershed, local officials said. The plan calls for the city of Columbus to provide water and sewer service to any new developed area within the plan area without annexing the property. It also sets aside land for conservation, thus providing plenty of green areas. The proposed development site is located between I-70 to the north and Kuhlwein Road to the south. It calls for about 3,500 residential units along with 300,000 square feet reserved for businesses. READ MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/west/news/2012/12/03/big-darby-town-center-township-city-to-collaborate-on-master-plan.html
April 18, 20169 yr It's been 10 years since a group of governments, nonprofit groups and concerned citizens got together to enact the Big Darby Accord - a formal agreement that limited development around the Big Darby Creek watershed in western Franklin County. The Dispatch looks at the health of the Big and Little Darby creeks in the below linked article and YouTube video: Darby watershed remains clean a decade after protection deal
February 13, 20196 yr A pretty significant residential development being proposed for the Big Darby Accord Region in western Franklin County: Columbus annexes land for housing development south of Roberts Road, Hilliard By KEVIN CORVO, THISWEEKNEWS.COM Updated Feb 5, 2019 at 10:00 PM Plans for the construction of more than 1,000 single-family residences and apartments on the east side of Alton Darby Creek Road, south of Roberts Road, moved forward Jan. 28 when Columbus City Council approved annexation of the 369 acres on which they will be built. ... The land will be annexed from Brown and Norwich townships into Columbus, but it is in Hilliard City Schools boundaries, said Tom Hart, an attorney representing the developers, Pulte Homes of Ohio and Harmony Development Group. The development has no official name but is being referred to as the Sugar Farm, a reference to the family who owned most of the land that was annexed Jan. 28, or Renner South, a geographic reference, Hart said. The land appears to be mostly on the east side of Alton Darby Creek Road, north of Interstate 70 and Renner Road and south of Roberts Road, according to a map provided. ( . . . ) Before the land was annexed, the Big Darby Accord Advisory Panel on Dec. 11 voted 4-3 to recommend approval of the proposal. ... 10 local governments created the Big Darby Accord in 2004 to preserve and protect the Big Darby Creek and its tributaries in western central Ohio -- https://bigdarbyaccord.org/. The accord panel includes representatives from the cities of Columbus, Grove City and Hilliard, the townships of Brown, Norwich, Pleasant, Prairie and Washington, the village of Harrisburg and Franklin County. ( . . . ) Columbus leaders previously indicated the city has adequate capacity to provide sanitary-sewer and water services for the proposed development. ... The next step is to seek rezoning from the Columbus Development Commission. “We hope to go before the development commission in March or April,” Hart said. ... If approved, construction would not begin for 18 months to two years and the project has a seven- to 10-year buildout. MORE: https://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20190205/columbus-annexes-land-for-housing-development-south-of-roberts-road-hilliard LARGE PDF VERSION OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT: https://www.thisweeknews.com/assets/pdf/OH3101027.PDF
February 13, 20196 yr https://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20190205/columbus-annexes-land-for-housing-development-south-of-roberts-road-hilliard LARGE PDF VERSION OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT: https://www.thisweeknews.com/assets/pdf/OH3101027.PDF Below are some google maps to compare with the above detailed pdf development map for the 1,000 single-family residence and apartment proposal previously posted (and linked above). From the descriptions in the article and the pdf map, it looks like it would be at the northeast corner of I-70 and Alton Darby Creek Road. The development then continues north until it passes Renner Road (which has some existing single-family homes that are retained) and continues north until it is west of Spindler Park. If you are travelling I-70, it would be about one mile west of the I-70/Hilliard-Rome Road exit and about 3.5 miles east of the I-70/Plain City-Georgesville Road exit (which leads to Prairie Oaks Metro Park along the Big Darby Creek). Closer aerial view of the 1,000 single-family residence and apartment proposal location shows it is also about a mile southwest of the existing Hilliard Bradley High School:
February 13, 20196 yr ^^ Oh mah Gawd!, Columbus is annexing itself into sprawldom again! No wunder it be the biggest city in UhHiuh! /sarcasm. *They need to fill in that far western strip from this on down to Galloway/east side of Alton Road. Edited February 13, 20196 yr by Toddguy
February 13, 20196 yr I don't see the appeal of living in that area at all but at least there's more green space than a lot of other subdivisions that have been built in the past decade.
February 14, 20196 yr As this kind of development goes, it should be fine given it is in Hilliard schools. Now anything south along Alton like I mentioned would be Southwestern City schools, and Westland High School...which could be problematic.... (even though I went there it is not what it used to be.)
April 16, 20196 yr Big Darby Creek Added to ‘Most Endangered’ List American Rivers, a national environmental advocacy organization, has identified Big Darby Creek as one of the country’s 10 most endangered rivers for the year 2019. The American Rivers report lists the potential for development and urban sprawl in the Darby watershed as the primary threats to the creek’s ecosystem. The Big Darby Creek is a waterway of remarkable biodiversity, home to at least 43 different species of freshwater mussels. There are more species of mussels in Big Darby Creek than all of Europe. A number of those species are also listed as rare, threatened or endangered by the state and federal governments. The creek is recognized as both an Ohio Scenic River and a National Scenic River. Darby Creek Association president John Tetzloff said the endangered river listing will hopefully create, “increased awareness and increased commitment by area jurisdictions to figure out how to manage new development and still protect the creek.” More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/big-darby-creek-added-to-most-endangered-list-jb1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 5, 20196 yr https://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20190503/rezoning-plan-for-1000-homes-south-of-hilliard-advances-to-columbus-city-council The rezoning of the 369 acres annexed from Brown and Norwich townships into the City of Columbus passed the Columbus Development Commission on May 1. The proposed zoning for this development - known as Sugar Farm - would allow for the construction of 1,108 single-family residences and apartments on these 369 acres. This Sugar Farm development is on the east side of Alton Darby Creek Road, north of I-70 and south of Roberts Road (shown outlined in orange on the below map). The below map has been updated to show another proposed development just north of Sugar Farm that is located in Hilliard (and was posted in the Hilliard development thread). That 350-acre Hilliard development proposal is called Alton Place and would contain a mix of single family houses, multifamily townhomes and a village center featuring a cluster of three-story commercial and residential buildings. (This Alton Place proposal is outlined in blue on the below map.) More about both of these proposals from CU: https://www.columbusunderground.com/two-projects-would-transform-700-acres-of-farmland-west-of-i-270-bw1
June 10, 20196 yr Much has been reported on the two large development proposals moving forward on the western edge of metro Columbus within the Big Darby Accord region -- the 369 acre Sugar Farm residential development in Columbus located just north of I-70 and the 350-acre Alton Place mixed-use development in Hilliard north of the Sugar Farm development. A Columbus Underground development roundup for June 2019 at https://www.columbusunderground.com/development-roundup-june-2019-bw1 is also reporting on a third development proposal in the Big Darby Accord region. This third proposal is called Blauser Farm, and is a 126-acre development located at 6145 W. Broad Street, just south of Route 40. The Blauser Farm development proposal has an extensive pdf presention to the November 2018 Big Darby Accord Advisory Panel at https://bigdarbyaccord.org/getattachment/More-Info/Meetings/20/BDAAP-November-2018-e-packet.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US Blauser Farm is a fairly standard suburban development proposal - but with great attention paid to buffering that development from any existing tributaries and wetlands on the development site (as is required by the Big Darby Accord). The entire development site is over 200 acres. But after subtracting about 80 acres for the buffering spaces, land set aside for a future City of Columbus park, wetlands, and for other spaces left open - about 126 acres is the total net buildable area of the proposal. Below is the entire Blauser Farm development site at 6145 W. Broad Street. It is located west of the existing Westland High School along Galloway Road and almost immediately west of the recently completed Prairie Township Community Center at 5955 W Broad Street. It is also immediately west of an existing single-family residential development: Below is the development plan for the Blauser Farm proposal. The project features a commercial cluster off West Broad Street and separate sections of single-family homes and multi-family apartments further away from Broad Street going south into the development site. The pdf presentation doesn't list the commercial square footage. But it does list 260 multi-family units (apartments) and 191 single-family units (homes) for a total of 451 dwelling units in the proposal: As said earlier, the commercial and residential development looks to be fairly suburban in layout. But because of the Big Darby Accord drainage standards, they are proposing some rather non-typical stormwater drainage features. Below is how they would handle stormwater runoff at the commercial area. Large vegetated biorentention swales capture the parking lot runoff before it reaches existing tributaries and wetlands on the site: In the residential areas, stormwater drainage would be diverted into raingardens along the streets and then to existing or constructed wetland treatment areas: The CU article at https://www.columbusunderground.com/development-roundup-june-2019-bw1 reports that this Blauser Farm development proposal has recently been approved by the Columbus Development Commission. Presumably it will now go before Columbus City Council for final approval - although the CU report did not state so.
November 19, 20204 yr On 2/13/2019 at 1:52 PM, Columbo said: https://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20190205/columbus-annexes-land-for-housing-development-south-of-roberts-road-hilliard LARGE PDF VERSION OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT: https://www.thisweeknews.com/assets/pdf/OH3101027.PDF Below are some google maps to compare with the above detailed pdf development map for the 1,000 single-family residence and apartment proposal previously posted (and linked above). From the descriptions in the article and the pdf map, it looks like it would be at the northeast corner of I-70 and Alton Darby Creek Road. The development then continues north until it passes Renner Road (which has some existing single-family homes that are retained) and continues north until it is west of Spindler Park. If you are travelling I-70, it would be about one mile west of the I-70/Hilliard-Rome Road exit and about 3.5 miles east of the I-70/Plain City-Georgesville Road exit (which leads to Prairie Oaks Metro Park along the Big Darby Creek). Closer aerial view of the 1,000 single-family residence and apartment proposal location shows it is also about a mile southwest of the existing Hilliard Bradley High School: ^ The above residential development - now called Sugar Farms and Renner South - has been approved by Columbus City Council. More about it (and a current site plan) from Business First below: 1,100 homes greenlit on Columbus' western edge Columbus City Council has approved construction of nearly 1,100 homes in a $300 million development on the city's western edge. The council approved rezoning for 369 acres of land for the two developments – Sugar Farms and Renner South – along both sides of Renner Road, east of Alton Darby Creek Road and north of I-70. Two developers, Harmony Development Group and PulteGroup Inc., are teaming up to build 1,098 houses and apartments on existing farm land. The approval follows almost two years of work and negotiations between the developers, city and neighbors opposed to the project with traffic concerns as well as worries of how it will impact the Big Darby Creek watershed. ... The developer has had discussions with the Big Darby Accord Advisory Panel, the Columbus Development Commission and the Far West Side Area Commission, and made improvements based on input from those groups. All but the area commission signed off on the project. Changes included fewer lots near the existing Renner Road homes, lowering heights on some of the multi-family buildings, and preserving 170 acres of open space, including 81 acres for parkland that will be donated to the city. ... City Council approval lets the developers secure financing for the project to get started in early 2021 for a build-out over 8 to 10 years. They must return with some final architectural renderings for the multifamily units, as well as some final clearances from the city. MORE: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2020/11/17/300m-west-side-development.html CURRENT SITE PLAN:
November 27, 20204 yr Old Westland driving range on track for 286 homes and apartments A former driving range and putt-putt course on Columbus' western edge soon be home to residential units. Westerville-based Metro Development LLC, an affiliate of Donald R. Kenney & Company Realty, has been working for about a year to rezone the 41.6-acre former West Broad Golf Center at 5960 W. Broad Street. The plan is to invest about $39 million into building 286 homes and apartments in the development, which it's calling Crown Pointe. The developer plans to build an $18 million, 192-unit apartment complex on the southeastern 9 acres of the land, with 94 single-family homes on another 32.5 acres. The homes will cost about $21 million and be completed by a homebuilder that has yet to be selected. About 12.5 acres of space will be retained as open space, according to plans filed with the city's development department. The property is also within the Big Darby Accord Watershed Master Plan, which recommends mixed use for the site, but also includes some small portions of land that are in part of an environmental conservation zone, which stipulates restrictions on groundwater recharge and preservation of wooded space. The developer has submitted a request for rezoning for the property for Columbus City Council but that has been tabled pending a few final details. MORE: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2020/11/19/metro-development-plans-39m-westland-development.html
December 1, 20204 yr Honda donation adds to Big Darby nature preserve Honda is donating 90 acres of land in the Big Darby Creek watershed. The Marysville-based manufacturer Monday announced the gift, valued at more than $280,000, to The Nature Conservancy. The land is in Logan County near the East Liberty Auto Plant and the Transportation Research Center. Article: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2020/12/01/honda-donation-adds-to-big-darby-nature-preserve.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_10&cx_artPos=0#cxrecs_s
December 1, 20204 yr 23 minutes ago, TH3BUDDHA said: Honda donation adds to Big Darby nature preserve Honda is donating 90 acres of land in the Big Darby Creek watershed. The Marysville-based manufacturer Monday announced the gift, valued at more than $280,000, to The Nature Conservancy. The land is in Logan County near the East Liberty Auto Plant and the Transportation Research Center. Article: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2020/12/01/honda-donation-adds-to-big-darby-nature-preserve.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_10&cx_artPos=0#cxrecs_s It would be amazing if one day the entire Big Darby from Logan down through Pickaway County at least was a continuous extension of Battelle Darby Metro Park.
December 1, 20204 yr 6 minutes ago, jonoh81 said: It would be amazing if one day the entire Big Darby from Logan down through Pickaway County at least was a continuous extension of Battelle Darby Metro Park. Could that lead to being able to kayak from one point to the other? Sorry, I don’t know much about it, but it would be awesome to have something that distance to kayak.
December 2, 20204 yr This is great, but what struck me was 90 acres valued at $280,000. That's just over 3 grand per acre. That seems an awfully low price for land anywhere, let alone outside of Columbus.
December 2, 20204 yr 21 hours ago, VintageLife said: Could that lead to being able to kayak from one point to the other? Sorry, I don’t know much about it, but it would be awesome to have something that distance to kayak. Rivers are a public right of way, so you can kayak through even if the land on both sides is privately owned.
August 5, 20213 yr Consideration of Hill Farm rezoning by Hilliard City Council postponed until Aug. 23 Hilliard City Council will wait until Aug. 23 to give final consideration to a rezoning proposal by M/I Homes to build 229 residences at the northwest corner of Scioto Darby and Elliott roads. When asked about the reason for the postponement, Josh Barkan, vice president of land for M/I Homes, said further “due diligence” was needed. Barkan described the due diligence as ensuring there are no wetlands in specific parts of the 205-acre parcel before final consideration is sought by the developer. ... When City Council reconvenes Aug. 23, it is likely another piece of legislation will accompany the pair of ordinances for the Hill Farm rezoning and developer's agreement. When Hill Farm was introduced in November 2017, the Big Darby Accord Advisory Panel recommended approval of the proposal to rezone the parcel. At that time, the site consisted of 207 acres and included a site for a fourth Norwich Township fire station and a possible site for a school building. ... The original rezoning application also called for 229 single-family residences. Although the revised application still calls for 229 residences, 60 now would be empty-nester “quads,” with the remainder being single-family residences on lots of two sizes. MORE: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/communities/hilliard/2021/07/12/consideration-hill-farm-rezoning-hilliard-city-council-postponed-until-aug-23/7946332002/
August 5, 20213 yr Galbreath descendants ask to turn part of Darby Dan Farm into solar farm John W. Galbreath was a real estate developer, philanthropist, owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates when they won three World Series titles, the owner of two Kentucky Derby winners and a big booster of Ohio State University sports. Now his seven grandchildren are looking to build on his legacy as a conservationist and environmentalist. The family has struck a deal to lease 900 acres of Darby Dan Farm to Chicago-based renewable company Invenergy as part of Pleasant Prairie Solar Energy project, a 2,400-acre solar farm proposed for Pleasant and Prairie townships. The application is pending before the Ohio Power Siting Board, a state agency that must sign off on requests for the construction of major utility facilities in Ohio. If approved, construction of the 250-megawatt project, enough to power 50,000 homes, could start next year. The Galbreath family is one of five property owners to lease land for the solar project. Darby Dan Farm's 900 acres for the project runs from West Broad Street (U.S. Route 40) south along Darby Creek Drive. Sod company Wilson's Turf has also agreed to lease 760 acres for the project. Squire Galbreath said he began working with the six other grandchildren on the idea in 2018. The family had plenty to consider before proceeding, given that the life of a solar farm could be 30 or 40 years. "This is a generational decision," he said. "There's a lot of thought and reflection about the implications of what we're doing." Darby Dan Farm, located along Darby Creek Drive, dates to 1935. At one time, it included 4,400 acres. John W. Galbreath, Dan Galbreath and other family members have donated and sold land for Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park and other public uses over time, reducing the size of the farm to about 2,100 acres today: 1,100 acres is leased to a farmer who typically grows corns and beans and another 400 is leased to a sod farmer; there also is an airstrip on the farm that the family leases; the remaining land includes the Darby House, an event center that's on the banks of the Big Darby Creek; and 20 rental houses on the property. MORE: https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2021/07/29/galbreath-descendants-seek-turn-farmland-into-solar-farm/8040139002/
October 13, 20213 yr Huge mixed-use development on West Broad Street moves forward Despite objections from area residents, a mixed-use development is coming to West Broad Street. This week, Columbus City Council approved rezoning 6145 W. Broad St. in western Franklin County from a rural district to a commercial planned development and residential district. The project intends to bring 150,000 square feet of commercial space, 191 single-unit dwellings on public streets and 260 affordable apartment units to the site. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/10/13/new-mixed-use-development-coming-west-of-columbus.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 15, 20213 yr On 10/13/2021 at 5:02 PM, ColDayMan said: Huge mixed-use development on West Broad Street moves forward Despite objections from area residents, a mixed-use development is coming to West Broad Street. This week, Columbus City Council approved rezoning 6145 W. Broad St. in western Franklin County from a rural district to a commercial planned development and residential district. The project intends to bring 150,000 square feet of commercial space, 191 single-unit dwellings on public streets and 260 affordable apartment units to the site. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/10/13/new-mixed-use-development-coming-west-of-columbus.html GOOD! That area already is growing with the new development North of Broad and West of the Kroger at Galloway. They need to go ahead and build in that section-it also has a parkland as a barrier between it and Clover-Groff ditch/Hellbranch Run. We need the housing units. Plus beside the commercial development in it, it will be right by the new park, The Prairie Township Community Center and of course the Kroger across Broad.
April 21, 20223 yr On 10/13/2021 at 5:02 PM, ColDayMan said: Huge mixed-use development on West Broad Street moves forward Despite objections from area residents, a mixed-use development is coming to West Broad Street. This week, Columbus City Council approved rezoning 6145 W. Broad St. in western Franklin County from a rural district to a commercial planned development and residential district. The project intends to bring 150,000 square feet of commercial space, 191 single-unit dwellings on public streets and 260 affordable apartment units to the site. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/10/13/new-mixed-use-development-coming-west-of-columbus.html A new article on this development: Don't qualify for low-income housing but can't afford more? Try Darby Crossing “A multimillion-dollar, affordable housing development on Columbus' Far West Side is the latest in a series of efforts to address what officials call a housing crisis in central Ohio. Kittle Property Group Inc., of Indianapolis, is seeking up to $49 million in tax-exempt, multifamily housing revenue bonds through the Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority for the project at 6145 W. Broad St., which is part of the the city's Far West Broad community reinvestment area. The Franklin County Board of Commissioners approved Kittle's request, 2-0, Thursday morning. Commissioner John O'Grady was absent from the meeting. Known as Darby Crossing Apartments, the $59.6 million project consists of 260 one- to four-bedroom apartments, for residents of Franklin County and the surrounding area who make 60% of the annual median income, Kimmel said. That equates to $40,000 for a family of two or $50,000 for a family of four, based on 2021 data.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2022/04/21/ohios-housing-crisis-spurs-new-affordable-housing-developments/9482652002/?itm_source=premium_bundle&itm_medium=onsite
April 22, 20223 yr On 10/15/2021 at 6:46 PM, Toddguy said: GOOD! That area already is growing with the new development North of Broad and West of the Kroger at Galloway. They need to go ahead and build in that section-it also has a parkland as a barrier between it and Clover-Groff ditch/Hellbranch Run. We need the housing units. Plus beside the commercial development in it, it will be right by the new park, The Prairie Township Community Center and of course the Kroger across Broad. I was just out through there last week. What's the story with the three big fields on the north side of Broad with all the little flags all over? Is each one supposed to be marking something?
April 22, 20223 yr 6 hours ago, Luvcbus said: I was just out through there last week. What's the story with the three big fields on the north side of Broad with all the little flags all over? Is each one supposed to be marking something? Do you mean the area north of the Sunset Cemetery area/Murnan Rd.? That area is I believed being turned into a wetland/natural area. It has a ditch that flows north and then east into Hellbranch Run(the stream that flows under 40 between Alton and the cemetery. Otherwise I don't know of anything else. I think I brought it up in the general development thread and someone looked it up. Here is the discussion(if I am getting the right area you are talking about): Quote Posted March 28 On 3/28/2022 at 3:54 PM, Toddguy said: Kind of off the current topic, but does anyone know what the heck they are doing on the North side of 40 across from the Murnan Rd. intersection past Alton? That area is all torn up and has been for awhile and I have no idea of what they are doing out there. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote https://streamandwetlands.org/mitigation-banks/ohio/ These people own it. It'll probably be added to Battelle-Darby when they're done. https://forum.urbanohio.com/topic/43-columbus-random-development-and-news/page/41/#comments Also the area around Clover Groff ditch north of Broad where the streambed was "naturalized" and is supposed to be a 40 plus acre park/preserve has already been invaded by Callery Pear trees. I could see the little tufts of white flowered small trees scattered all over. Those things are really getting invasive and you can really see it right now when they are blooming. Otherwise in this greater area there seems to be no action on the planned development in West Jeff along 40 east of 142(just pipes and stuff that have been laying there forever) and the apts. at Doherty and Broad(next to the Galloway Kroger)are done, but nothing on the part where houses are supposed to go. Edited April 22, 20223 yr by Toddguy
April 22, 20223 yr 19 hours ago, amped91 said: A new article on this development: Don't qualify for low-income housing but can't afford more? Try Darby Crossing “A multimillion-dollar, affordable housing development on Columbus' Far West Side is the latest in a series of efforts to address what officials call a housing crisis in central Ohio. Kittle Property Group Inc., of Indianapolis, is seeking up to $49 million in tax-exempt, multifamily housing revenue bonds through the Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority for the project at 6145 W. Broad St., which is part of the the city's Far West Broad community reinvestment area. The Franklin County Board of Commissioners approved Kittle's request, 2-0, Thursday morning. Commissioner John O'Grady was absent from the meeting. Known as Darby Crossing Apartments, the $59.6 million project consists of 260 one- to four-bedroom apartments, for residents of Franklin County and the surrounding area who make 60% of the annual median income, Kimmel said. That equates to $40,000 for a family of two or $50,000 for a family of four, based on 2021 data.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2022/04/21/ohios-housing-crisis-spurs-new-affordable-housing-developments/9482652002/?itm_source=premium_bundle&itm_medium=onsite God knows that they need housing in this area, and the more affordable the better. I just want to see them complete the housing section as well(they always do the apts. and then the SFH's come much later it seems.) With all the people working in West Jeff and no new housing, maybe some of the workers out here can live a bit closer. Most seem to be streaming in from Columbus anyway. Little West Jeff now has a real hour/traffic problem with the commuting workers coming through to work from Cbus. Why they are waiting on the 1,000 unit plus development off of 40 and 142 I do not know. A Kroger Marketplace(or some such thing)was supposed to be coming too. Where is it all at? smh.
April 22, 20223 yr 5 hours ago, Toddguy said: Also the area around Clover Groff ditch north of Broad where the streambed was "naturalized" and is supposed to be a 40 plus acre park/preserve has already been invaded by Callery Pear trees. I could see the little tufts of white flowered small trees scattered all over. Those things are really getting invasive and you can really see it right now when they are blooming. Hopefully part of the states plan to ban these, includes them tearing out all the current ones.
May 5, 20223 yr I believe this is the correct thread for this announcement: “Several of Central Ohio's largest employers are backing a technological workforce development program that starts with Daisies and Brownies. Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland has launched a $16 million fundraising campaign to build a hands-on educational center, makerspace and commercial kitchen for scouts to learn technical, leadership and entrepreneurial skills. The Ohio's Heartland council, encompassing troops in 30 Central and Southeast Ohio counties, has raised $9.5 million so far in the campaign's four-year quiet phase, with a lead $3 million donation from Columbus research giant Battelle. Other top sponsors are the foundations of American Electric Power, Nationwide, and the Kokosing group of companies. The centerpiece is construction of the STEM Leadership Center & Maker Space, part of the larger Girl Scouts of USA goal to inspire 2.5 million scouts to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. Central Ohio in particular needs to expand that workforce with the entry of Intel Corp. and a growing technology and biotech sector.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/05/03/girl-scouts-columbus-maker-space-fundraising.html
May 5, 20223 yr 2 hours ago, amped91 said: I believe this is the correct thread for this announcement: “Several of Central Ohio's largest employers are backing a technological workforce development program that starts with Daisies and Brownies. Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland has launched a $16 million fundraising campaign to build a hands-on educational center, makerspace and commercial kitchen for scouts to learn technical, leadership and entrepreneurial skills. The Ohio's Heartland council, encompassing troops in 30 Central and Southeast Ohio counties, has raised $9.5 million so far in the campaign's four-year quiet phase, with a lead $3 million donation from Columbus research giant Battelle. Other top sponsors are the foundations of American Electric Power, Nationwide, and the Kokosing group of companies. The centerpiece is construction of the STEM Leadership Center & Maker Space, part of the larger Girl Scouts of USA goal to inspire 2.5 million scouts to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. Central Ohio in particular needs to expand that workforce with the entry of Intel Corp. and a growing technology and biotech sector.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/05/03/girl-scouts-columbus-maker-space-fundraising.html I can't access the article. Does it state exactly where this will be built? *edit nevermind I see in the Dispatch it is the camp in Galloway. Edited May 5, 20223 yr by Toddguy
November 29, 20222 yr City of Columbus, Hilliard address and schools. Schottenstein Homes, Homewood Corp. team up with D.R. Horton on new townhome and single-family development in west Columbus “Gahanna-based Schottenstein Homes and Columbus-based Homewood Homes are working with D.R. Horton — a Texas-based company touted as the largest homebuilder by volume in the United States — on a development called Renner Park. Located on the corner of Renner Road and Alton Darby Creek Road, the community will include 196 townhome lots and 147 single-family lots. The townhomes will be a mix of three- and four-bedroom units ranging from 1,635 square feet to 1,800 square feet, and will include a two-car garage. Pricing starts in the low $300,000s. The single-family homes will measure 1,500 square feet on the low end and 3,200 square feet on the high end. The four- and five-bedroom units will start in the high $300,000s and the low $400,000s. Mautino said they are going through the permitting process with the city of Columbus and expect construction on both the townhomes and single-family lots to begin in December. He said they anticipate homes will start to be completed in late spring 2023, with residents moving in during the early summer of that year. Though the land is located in Columbus, it is near the southern Hilliard border. As such, residents will be served by the Hilliard City School District. That was part of why D.R. Horton was interested in the project, Mautino said, adding they were also able to have a higher density per acre because the development is located in Columbus.” https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/11/29/schottenstein-homewood-dr-horton-housing-project.html
December 9, 20222 yr ^^^It looks like they may be working on this if it is on the plot southeast of the intersection of Renner and Alton Darby.
December 9, 20222 yr On 4/21/2022 at 12:24 PM, amped91 said: A new article on this development: Don't qualify for low-income housing but can't afford more? Try Darby Crossing “A multimillion-dollar, affordable housing development on Columbus' Far West Side is the latest in a series of efforts to address what officials call a housing crisis in central Ohio. Kittle Property Group Inc., of Indianapolis, is seeking up to $49 million in tax-exempt, multifamily housing revenue bonds through the Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority for the project at 6145 W. Broad St., which is part of the the city's Far West Broad community reinvestment area. The Franklin County Board of Commissioners approved Kittle's request, 2-0, Thursday morning. Commissioner John O'Grady was absent from the meeting. Known as Darby Crossing Apartments, the $59.6 million project consists of 260 one- to four-bedroom apartments, for residents of Franklin County and the surrounding area who make 60% of the annual median income, Kimmel said. That equates to $40,000 for a family of two or $50,000 for a family of four, based on 2021 data.” https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2022/04/21/ohios-housing-crisis-spurs-new-affordable-housing-developments/9482652002/?itm_source=premium_bundle&itm_medium=onsite They seem to be working on this now, they are cutting into/clearing the area from Broad and construction stuff is there. Also they are doing something at the Southeast corner of Galloway and Broad-is there an apartment complex planned for there?-i think I saw it somewhere-if so they seem to be moving on that clearing stuff, equipment, etc.
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