The City of Hilliard Sustainability Plan

Hilliard Sustainability PlanConclusionLand Use & Urban EcologySince 1950, Hilliard has followed a low-density residential developmentpattern that boomed during the 1950s and again during the 1990s.Today, this low-density landscape accounts for approximately one quarterof the City’s land use. Because the last decade was witness to stalleddevelopment and slow population growth, the City has concentrated itsefforts on providing adequate parks, roads, and other vital infrastructure toaccommodate existing residents and businesses.Municipal zoning ordinances govern use-based classifications andrequire large setbacks that result in auto-oriented development. Whilethis residential backdrop is an important characteristic of today’s Hilliard,approximately 30% of the City’s land is made up of vacant land, municipalright-of-way, and utilities, and the rest is composted of agriculture,professional office space, and commercial real estate. All of these land usesare important and contribute to defining Hilliard as a place to live and dowork Hilliard’s current zoning laws prohibit the integration of commercialuses into residential areas. However, zoning provisions for Old Hilliardand the Planned Neighborhood District (PND) accommodate mixeddevelopment that combines business, public, cultural, social, and residentialuses.The City has a number of assets and resources to support its sustainabilitygoals. Six parks are central to the City’s identity and residential character:First Responder Park, Station Park, Weaver Park, the East Pool and Park,Heritage Rail Trail, and Municipal Park. Over 100 acres of wetlands and 800acres of tree cover join five waterways, including Tudor Ditch, HamiltonRun, Holcomb Ditch, Clover Groff Ditch, and Hayden Run, to define Hilliard’sCONCLUSIONenvironmental landscape.Looking to the future, Hilliard and its leaders envision transforming Hilliardinto a “lifelong” community, complete with a variety of housing options forresidents at different stages of life. Expanded housing options will includesmaller homes, more rental options, and neighborhoods with close accessto amenities for young adults, empty-nesters, and seniors. In order to realizethis vision, Hilliard’s 2011 Comprehensive Plan focuses redevelopmentefforts on four focus areas: Old Hilliard, the I-270 Corridor, the RetiredRailroad Corridor, and the Big Darby focus areas. Opportunities also existfor in-fill projects along the Retired Railroad Corridor, on vacant land, and inareas adjacent to industrial sites.Changing transportation options to mirror changing lifestyles andperceptions will help Hilliard become a community that embracesalternative forms of transportation for people who do not want to relyon automobiles. Pedestrian infrastructure, such as sidewalks, is not wellconnected, resulting in missing sections that can inhibit safe and frequentuse. Current bike facilities are isolated, and improved connectivity betweenexisting routes and destination places such as residential and commercialdevelopments would greatly benefit recreational and commuting cyclists.Additionally, although Hilliard residents can travel to a few locationswithin Hilliard on COTA’s express bus routes, their primary purpose is directcommuting to and from work for Hilliard residents who work downtown orat the University.111