The City of Hilliard Sustainability Plan

Hilliard Sustainability PlanCommon barriers to communities around the country to developing sustainable,neighborhood-centric patterns are the long-standing codes andordinances governing their jurisdictions. 97 In some instances, developmentof undesirable character is allowed or even encouraged. On the other hand,potentially beneficial strategies such as mixed uses and higher densitiesmight be discouraged or even prohibited. The following strategies, brokendown over a long period of time based on ease of implementation, aremeant as a way to combat this issue in Hilliard. Adopting these measureshas the potential, over time, to move the measurements of all four proposedLand Use and Urban Ecology indicators (retail access, park access,pathway connectivity, and pedestrian infrastructure inventory) in a positivedirection.Short Term (1-3 years)» Amend the current zoning code to allow upper-story residences incommercial buildings as a conditional use in all existing commercialand mixed-use districts. Specifically, the B-1 NeighborhoodBusiness, B-2 Community Shopping Center, and B-3 Institutions andOffices Districts should be amended. 98 Along the same lines, thecity should amend the code so that small commercial operationsare a conditional use in residential districts. These districts includeR-3 Medium Density Residential, R-4 Two Family Residential, and R-6Multi-Family Residential. According to an Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) report, this is a “modest adjustment,” which is a goodfirst step towards cultivating a city with a desirable mix of uses. 99Parties responsible: This action would be the responsibility of theCity’s planning staff, perhaps in partnership with a city attorney.They would need to research and draft the proposed zoningamendments. The American Planning Association publishes modelordinances which would be a good start. 100 Subsequently, thechanges will need to be adopted by City Council. Cost: A generousSidebar 3.3: Arlington County, Virginia CaseStudyOfficials in Arlington County, Virginia have made it a policyto incentivize sustainability within their jurisdiction’s builtenvironment. In this particular case, they have decided thatLEED certified construction is something they would like toencourage. In order to do this, the County has put into placea scheme where different LEED certifications of developmentprojects allow for an increase in maximum density under thecode (See figure 3.4). 6 This type of incentive profile could bemodified by Hilliard to encourage development within theComprehensive Plan’s focus areas. See figure 3.5 for an exampleof a profile that could be adopted by Hilliard. These incentivescan be tailored specifically to the sustainability goals of Hilliard’sEnvironmental Sustainability Commission, City Council, PlanningCommission, and Mayor.Figure 3.4: Arlington County, VA Incentive LevelsLEED Certification Floor-to-Area Ratio (FAR)IncreaseCertified .15Silver .25Platinum .35Figure 3.5: Example Hilliard Incentive Levels.Development Type inFocus AreaResidentialCommercialMixed-Use» Source: EDAW IncorporatedDensity Maximum Increase10% increase over base allowablemaximum in zoning district10% increase over base allowablemaximum in zoning district15% increase over base allowablemaximum in zoning districtECON. EXECUTIVELAND DEV. USESOCIAL SUMMARY& URBAN EQ.ECOLOGY65