The City of Hilliard Sustainability Plan

Hilliard Sustainability PlanECON. EXECUTIVELAND USE DEV.SOCIAL SUMMARY& URBAN EQ.ECOLOGYProfessional office uses are largely concentrated near the center oftown and along Cemetery Road and represent 1% of the existingland use. 34 Hilliard’s neighborhood commercial and communitycommercial land uses represents 3% of the City’s land use. 35 A largeportion of the City’s commercial development is concentratedalong Main Street, Cemetery and Cosgray Roads, and aroundHilliard’s I-270 interchange, leaving large residential areas east ofI-270 and large tracts of land in the western and northern portionsof Hilliard without convenient retail options. 36 Finally, large areasof agriculture still exist in Hilliard. 37 They comprise 9% of the City’sland use and are mainly concentrated in the western edges of theCity in the Big Darby Creek area. 38ZoningHilliard’s current zoning ordinance establishes distinct use-basedzoning classifications and requires large setbacks that result inauto-oriented development. 39As seen in Figures 3.1 and 3.2, when Hilliard’s minimum setbackrequirements are compared with other suburbs in the Columbusregion, Hilliard setbacks are relatively small. 40 Yet, Hilliard’s currentsetbacks are still large enough to promote very auto-orienteddevelopment patterns. The result of these setbacks in commercialareas is the location of parking in front of commercial structures,which provides convenient automobile access but not convenientaccess for pedestrians and bicyclists. If commercial buildings wereplaced up to the right-of-way, pedestrians and bicyclist would beable to access these stores directly from the sidewalk. Also, with thelocation of surface parking lots in the front of commercial buildings,pedestrians and bicyclist have to walk further to access thebuilding and have the added danger of walking through a surface parkinglot.Hilliard’s current zoning laws make it challenging to integrate neighborhoodretail or any other commercial use into residential areas because currentresidential zoning excludes any commercial uses in both permitted andconditional use regulations. 41 Accessible neighborhood retail is beneficialbecause it can reduce the number of car trips and encourage more walkingand biking trips. While this may not be appropriate for all residentialneighborhoods, another important way to integrate neighborhood commercialuses into residential areas is the allowance of mixed-use developmentin the City’s zoning code. The zoning provisions for Old Hilliard andthe Planned Neighborhood District (PND) are the most accommodatingprovisions for a mix of uses. The Old Hilliard design provisions provide a mixof activities including business, public, cultural, social, and residential uses. 42Permitted uses in the Old Hilliard District include retail, office, and singlefamilydwellings, yet multi-family dwellings and mixed-occupancy units areonly allowed as a conditional use, which creates a hurdle for mixed-use developmentin the district. 43 Additionally, Hilliard’s Codified Ordinance statesthat “mixed-occupancy” requires re-approval from the zoning commissionany time the ratio of mixed-uses changes which creates another barrier tomixed-use development. 44The purpose of a PND as stated in Hilliard’s zoning provisions is to encouragefreedom of design, allow denser residential developments, accommodatea mixture of uses, and preserve and utilize natural topographyhelping to avoid natural drainage problems. 45 The PND also encouragesplacing buildings closer to the street. However, denser residential and tallerbuildings need special permission. 46 The Planned Unit Development (PUD)guidelines state that the maximum density for residential should be sixunits per acre or less except as provided for in development density incen-56