Commission discusses Big Darby Accord update, conservation zoning, stream restoration and sewer tap allocation

Planning staff and commissioners spent the latter portion of the March 13 meeting reviewing the Big Darby Accord Watershed Master Plan, recent Hilliard conservation zoning changes, completed stream restoration projects, and the implications of newly available Columbus sewer taps for land west of Alton Darby Road.

Staff presented the comprehensive-plan and Darby-area land-use maps, noting a mismatch between the plan text and the map: the text describes two conservation development categories — one at 1 dwelling unit per acre and another at 0.2 units per acre (the latter reflecting a 5-acre minimum typical of township rules) — but the displayed map does not match those density descriptions. Staff warned that the inconsistency complicates reviews before the Darby Accord panel and can create uncertainty for applicants and panel members.

Commissioners and staff discussed incentives and density bonuses in the Darby manual. The manual provides an example in which 60% open space could yield a 15% density bonus, but staff said the manual’s bonus formula and crediting for stream restoration are unclear and can discourage developers from doing the most beneficial stream work. Staff and commissioners cited a recent case where a developer conserved 22 acres and performed stream restoration; panel advice questioned whether that credit should apply to the developer’s project. As a…