Hilliard council discusses Hill Farm 2 rezoning, adopts sewer-tap policy while hearings continue

Residents from multiple neighborhoods asked Hilliard City Council on March 10 to delay or change plans for the proposed Hill Farm 2 housing development, saying the project could harm Big Darby watershed streams and increase dangerous traffic on local streets. Council voted to adopt a policy for assigning newly available sewer ‘‘taps’’ but did not decide the rezoning or the development agreement for Hill Farm 2; both were scheduled for a March 24 public hearing.

Many residents said the expansion would add hundreds of homes and worsen safety on Jeffrey Lynn and surrounding streets. ‘‘The extension of the current Hill Farm housing development will add 300 homes and will have an effect on not only my family and neighbors on Elliot Road, but especially on the Big Darby Creek,’’ said Kara Bettner, a Brown Township resident who spoke during the public comment period.

The council’s new policy directs how Hilliard will assign 1,331 sewer ERUs that the city of Columbus identified as available for the Roberts Milliken subtrunk. Law Director Daniel Riley explained the policy’s intent: ‘‘Sanitary sewer taps are to be assigned by city council as part of the approval of future development plans, and the assignment will be guided by the following rank order,’’ (the resolution lists priorities that favor in‑city properties consistent with the community plan, then annexations that align with the plan, then other proposals). The resolution passed on a 6–0 roll call.

Why it matters: The Big Darby watershed is nationally recognized for high biodiversity. Multiple speakers urged the council to wait for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) water‑quality and biodiversity update and for the ongoing Darby Accord revision before…