Council approves Alton Place HCD boundary and development text changes amid debate over gas station and walkability

HILLIARD, Ohio — Hilliard City Council took action on two Alton Place items Sept. 8: it held a first reading on an ordinance to rezone about 1.284 acres at the northeast corner of Roberts Road and Alton Darby Road to the Hilliard Conservation District (HCD), and it adopted Resolution 25 R 69 to modify Alden Place/Alton Place HCD boundaries and development text for a 31.92-acre area that will accommodate about 123 dwelling units. The land-use actions prompted extensive public discussion and council questions about environmental risk, permitted uses and long-term walkability of the area. Council member Cynthia Vermillion voiced “major concerns about a gas station, especially in the Darby Accord area,” citing groundwater and vapor risks. John, a city staff member who presented the rezoning and development-plan changes, explained that an automotive-service use is already permitted in the Alton Place HCD on the west side of Roberts Road and that moving the permitted location to the east side of Alton Darby Road could place such a use “further away from the stream.” He said the intent of the rezoning application is to allow the site to be incorporated into the Alton Place HCD and that any specific development would later return to the Derby Accord panel, planning commission and council with site plans. Vermillion asked whether federal requirements from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should be checked before rezoning; John said staff could seek that information but stressed that council typically compares proposals to the city’s comprehensive plan and code. He also confirmed notification letters were mailed for the rezoning and that subsequent development applications will carry their own notice requirements. On the development-plan amendment, staff said the applicant’s change reassigns a small C-6 commercial subarea into the R-5 residential subarea and allows horizontal siding on side and rear elevations (with front elevations limited to accents). Staff presented images of proposed townhomes and single-family layouts and clarified that the change reduces townhouse counts in the affected portion and results in 123 units for the parcel (34 townhouses and 89 detached single-family units) while staying within the previously approved total units for the larger Alton Place project. Multiple council members and members of the public raised concerns about the cumulative effect of incremental changes to the original plan and how those changes affect the project’s walkability and commercial mix. One council member cited earlier planning-and-zoning meetings where a building pitched for multiple commercial tenants was later reconciled to fewer commercial uses. John said the Derby Accord panel will review a full development plan when one is submitted and that rezoning alone does not authorize any specific construction. Council adopted Resolution 25 R 69 by roll call (6-0). The ordinance rezoning the smaller parcel was set for a second reading/public hearing on Sept. 22, 2025. Staff noted that additional development proposals in the Alton Place area — including separate applications seeking additional taps — are moving through review separately.