Another massive development, this one with more than 1,400 residential units, is planned for the Big Darby Creek area.
Columbus City Council recently approved a fringe annexation of 279.5 acres in Brown and Norwich townships for a 1,408-unit, mixed-use project by Columbus-based Harmony Development Group. Unanimously approved by Council Sept. 28, the annexed land sits at 6751 Roberts Road, just off the southwest corner of Roberts and Alton Darby Creek roads near Hilliard Bradley High School.
The news comes a few months after Columbus' Development Commission unanimously recommended approval of a controversially large development in the same area after the Far West Side Area Commission, an advisory body that acts as a liaison between the neighborhood
and city, unanimously rejected it.
That project, called Anderson Farm and led by Metro Development LLC, includes plans for roughly 600 apartments, 300 townhomes and 240 homes – approximately 1,140 units in total – on about 152 acres of land on the southeast corner of Roberts and Alton Darby Creek roads.
Both projects sit within the boundaries of the Big Darby Accord, a land-use plan for the Big Darby Creek Watershed that's being renegotiated for the first time in 20 years in an effort to balance development with conservation of one of the most biodiverse areas in the Midwest.
Columbus paused Darby accord renegotiations to wait for more research from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) in April, though city staff approved the Anderson Farm project under a patchwork of standards they said comply with interim guidance until a new Darby accord draft is approved.
But the Far West Side Area Commission and the Darby Creek Association previously told The Dispatch the Anderson Farm plan violates the 2006 accord and questioned why Columbus is pushing the project forward while the newest edition of the accord is still in progress. John Tetzloff, president of the Darby Creek Association, said at the time the density within Anderson Farm, an average of roughly 7.6 units per acre, is about double what's allowed in the existing accord.
When asked about Harmony Development's proposal, Tetzloff said in an email there should be no new development in the Big Darby area until ODNR completes its research and determines whether it can occur without harming the natural area.
"The development is not allowed under the current Accord Plan, and until there is a new plan agreed to by the Accord partners and ratified by City Council, the Columbus Department of Development should not be annexing or approving any new development that doesn't comply with that plan," Tetzloff said.
With 1,408 units planned for nearly 280 acres, Harmony Development's proposal is larger than Anderson Farm, but seemingly less dense. When asked how much of the site would remain open space, project consultant Steve Campbell said in an email the Darby accord calls for 50%.
"While there may be some adjustments as our plan moves through the approval process, we will meet or exceed the city's open space standards for the Big Darby," Campbell said.
The residences would consist of single-family homes with options for accessory dwelling units, four-to-six-unit townhomes, multi-unit homes and senior living options, according to Campbell.
Harmony Development was also the developer behind Renner Park, a community of single-family homes in Hilliard. Campbell said this project, referred to as Renner Park West, also calls for roughly 40,000 square feet of neighborhood commercial space for residents.
"Harmony Development Group is excited and committed to continuing the success of our Renner Park community by incorporating the environmental and Darby watershed best management practices constructed to date," Campbell said. "We believe Renner Park West can serve as a model community for the environment and for affordable home ownership in the Darby."
Both projects must undergo additional steps before they are officially approved. Renner Park West hasn't yet begun the advisory recommendation process, which includes the Big Darby Accord Advisory Panel, the Far West Side Area Commission and the city's Development Commission, along with a rezoning review process across multiple city departments, according to Department of Development spokesperson Christine Reedy.
Anderson Farm has gone through most of those steps but still needs to go before City Council for a vote on rezoning, Reedy said in an email.
Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at ewozniak@dispatch.com or @emma_wozniak_ on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Sprawling development slated for Big Darby as new accord remains unfinished
