4. County Profiles on Land Use Change

The Darby Watershed represents a large variety of land use practices which vary in each county.  The following sections will inventory county development as related to land use planning. 

Section Navigation:

1. Logan County

2. Union County

3. Champaign County

4. Madison County

5. Pickaway County

6. Franklin County

   Hellbranch Watershed Forum

   Environmentally Sensitive Development Area(ESDA) External Advisory Group

   Big Darby Accord

Logan County

The portion of the Logan County in the Darby Watershed is expected to experience continued large lot residential development with onsite wastewater treatment as industrial facilities continue to expand and locate near Honda along the SR 33 corridor and along SR 287.  In the Darby Watershed portion of Logan County there was a 35 percent increase in people between 1990 and 2000 based on U.S. Census data.  Most of the area is classified as U-1 or rural land which limits residential lot size to one acre of usable land for the placement of an onsite septic system.  Zane township recently contacted the Logan, Union , and Champaign (LUC) Regional Planning Commission to update their 1987 zoning regulations (See Appendix G). 

Currently, wastewater from Midwest Express, NEX, CTS, Harding Machine, and the TRC are all served by one treatment plant located on Big Darby Creek just upstream from Flat Branch.  Recently, Logan and Union Counties have agreed to construct a new wastewater treatment plant that will serve Middleburg in the Darby Watershed in addition to communities outside of the watershed such as East Liberty and possibly Raymond and Peoria.  This new wastewater treatment plant will eliminate the need for the existing wastewater plant on Big Darby by taking the wastewater from each of the companies listed above to the new plant.  The proposed plant will likely begin construction between 2006 and 2008 and will discharge into Mill Creek. 

Union County

In the past 10-20 years Union County has experienced a considerable increase in residential development within city or village boundaries and on large lots in rural portions of the County.  In the Darby Watershed portion of Union County, the population increased by 33% between 1990 and 2000 based on U.S. Census data.  Proximity to developing regions of the Columbus metropolitan area and local industry have attracted many new residents to rural portions of the county.  In response to the changing landscapes in the county, several municipalities have begun or completed comprehensive plans (See Figure 57) to allocate future growth within in the County. 

The LUC (Logan, Union, and Champaign Counties ) Regional Planning Commission has emphasized the 22 principles established for development within the Darby Watershed by the Central Ohio Regional Forum in 2001.  The 22 principles in this document focus on maximizing the protection of the Darby Creeks through stream buffers and stormwater controls.  Higher density development in Union County is largely controlled by the City of Marysville which also provides sewer services to Milford Center , New California, and industry along U.S. 33.  Marysville has limited remaining capacity and is currently working to upgrade their current wastewater treatment system to accommodate increased demand. 

Residential development in Union County is expected to continue in the form of large lot developments served by on-site septic systems.  Recently, the County Prosecutor removed the required zoning change for subdivisions on U1 land served by on-site septic systems.  Now a zoning change is not required for a multiple home lot split with homes served by on-site septic systems.

Townships within the Darby Watershed of Union County have begun to take a proactive stance on the type, style, and amount of allowable development.  Darby Township recently completed a comprehensive plan in 2003 designed to manage the future allocation of land use in the township.  Currently Darby Township is discussing the future density of development within the township.   Jerome Township , in southeast Union County is in the middle of completing a comprehensive plan and updating their zoning codes.  Allen township on the western edge of the county has contracted with BBH Planners to complete a comprehensive plan in the next several months.  And Liberty Township is currently working with the LUC Planning Commission to develop a comprehensive plan.  The townships have all updated their zoning codes in the past 5 years.  The zoning codes as illustrated in Appendix F display a variety of lot sizes and road frontages.

Champaign County

Champaign County is more separated from the growth pressures experienced by other counties in the watershed, but is still experiencing steady residential growth associated with manufacturing and industrial jobs in the region.  The population of the Champaign County portion of the Darby Watershed grew by 14 percent between 1990 and 2000 based on U.S. Census data.  Champaign County recently completed an update of their comprehensive plan in March of 2004.  This plan serves all of the unincorporated areas within the county.  The village of North Lewisburg completed their comprehensive plan in 2002.  Currently there are no plans for expansion of central sewer in North Lewisburg, Woodstock , or Mechanicsburg.  Most of Champaign County in the watershed is classified as U-1, or rural agricultural land.  Residential development is expected to continue in the form of large lots with on-site wastewater treatment on land zoned as U-1 (See Appendix G).  Goshen Township is currently working to update their 1996 zoning regulations and are considering agricultural zoning through the assistance of the Logan, Union and Champaign (LUC) Regional Planning Commission

Madison County

Madison County like many other counties in the watershed requires at least 1.5 acres of land for the placement of a new residential unit.  However, Madison County differs from other counties in that all requests for new development must be sent to the county Subdivision Review Board instead of an individual township’s zoning committee.  Any development proposal has to meet the requirements of the subdivision review board before the land can be considered for development.  In 1963, the entire county was zoned and most of the county was defined as Agricultural land or A-1.  In Madison County, in order to create a lot split on A-1 land the parcel must be 20 acres or greater.  Any parcel 20 acres or larger that is requesting a lot split must be the “mother parcel” or a parcel on file with the Madison County Recorder before May 1, 2002.  On any parcel twenty acres or larger, two conditional lot splits are permitted for the placement of a single-family residential unit.  The smallest lot size for the placement of on-site septic systems is 1.5 acres of useable land.  Once a lot split has occurred on a parcel, the parcel is no longer permitted any further lot splits even if the parcel remains over 20 acres in size.  The various zoning codes are defined in Appendix G.  The development requirements in Madison County represent the strong belief in farmland preservation.  Madison County is preparing to complete an update of their comprehensive land use plan in 2005.

In recent years Madison County has experienced small population growth in comparison with other areas in central Ohio.  The population of the Madison County portion of the Darby Watershed increased by only 3% between 1990 and 2000 based on U.S. Census data. This small population increase emphasizes the importance of strong countywide land use planning.  There is a large amount of development pressure in northwest portions of the County in Darby and Canaan Townships .  The close proximity to Columbus coupled with higher property values has created strong development pressure in this area. 

Madison County is nearing completion of their county-wide water quality management plan referred to as a Section 208 plan which is submitted to Ohio EPA and then to US EPA in accordance with the Clean Water Act.  In December of 2002, the City of Columbus prepared a 208 plan for the Scioto River Basin which included Madison County .  Madison County Commissioners asked Ohio EPA to be removed from this plan to create their own 208 water quality management plan that focused on the agricultural nature of the county and the desire to control growth.  The 208 plan gives Madison County and its municipalities the legal ability to define the management entities for water and sewer within the county and block service areas from outside the county.  If includes a set of prescribed and recommended actions to improve water quality.

Pickaway County

Pickaway County does not have a comprehensive plan nor do any of its municipalities in the Darby Watershed.  Darby Township recently approved a Land Use Plan and updated their zoning codes.  Appendix F summarizes the zoning codes and any planning efforts for each township in the watershed.  This plan does little to protect the riparian corridor from future development in a township that is expected to experience considerable growth after the improvement of wastewater infrastructure.  The minimum lot size in the county for the placement of an on-site septic system is approximately 1 acre.  Besides Darby Township, development in the Darby Watershed is expected to occur in the 1-2 acre lots with on-site septic systems.  Because of improvements in wastewater infrastructure, Darby Township is expected to experience higher density development.  Before 2008 Pickaway County Commissioners have planned to introduce a waste water project to include the unincorporated village of Derby , perhaps the village of Harrisburg, and two mobile home parks on Darby Creek Road and additional residential development in the area. 

Franklin County  

A number of comprehensive plans and zoning efforts exist in the western portions of Franklin County .  Many of these plans specifically address buffer widths, stormwater, and floodplains along the Darby and its tributaries to protect existing conditions along many streams and to restore those along Hellbranch Run.  For example the City of Columbus initiated the Hellbranch Run Watershed Protection Overlay, which established the “stream corridor protection zone, mandates no-net loss of flood storage capacity, standards for minimizing storm water generation, and prohibits disturbance of natural vegetation in stream corridors.”  Appendix F summarizes the complex and overlapping sets of zoning code regulations and comprehensive planning recommendations.  In addition to individual municipality comprehensive plans and zoning codes there are three multi-jurisdictional planning groups working to protect water resources within the Darby Watershed.  The next three paragraphs are a summary of the groups actions as recorded in the City of Columbus’s, Big Darby Accord, Request for Proposal (October, 2004)

Hellbranch Watershed Forum    

The Hellbranch Watershed Forum was created by a cooperative agreement signed May 22, 2002 by elected officials of Franklin County; the cities of Columbus, Hilliard, and Grove City; and Brown, Norwich, Pleasant, and Prairie townships. The Forum was organized to develop collaboratively consistent stormwater policies and regulations, develop a pilot restoration project, and cooperate in and support a watershed plan for responsible development and stewardship of the watershed. Assisting the Forum in this work is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District. The Hellbranch Watershed Action Plan is expected to be complete by fall, 2005.

 Environmentally Sensitive Development Area (ESDA) External Advisory Group    

            The EPA-approved Columbus Metropolitan Facilities Plan Update (“208 Plan”) establishes the goal “to protect critical water resources, especially in the Darby Watershed.” This plan designates an Environmentally Sensitive Development Area (ESDA) that includes most of the Big Darby watershed in Franklin County .  The plan recognizes that while “the City of Columbus will ultimately provide centralized service within a portion of it, no service whatsoever shall be provided within the ESDA until the following conditions are met for the area to be served:

•   Riparian buffer restrictions are in place

•   Comprehensive stormwater management planning has occurred;

•   Conservation development restrictions are in place which involve the concept of  clustering development to preserve tracts of open space, including farmland; and

•   Adequate public facilities, including roadways, exist or are planned to support any proposed development.”

The Big Darby Accord – Mission Statement

The Big Darby Accord consists of local governments within the Franklin County area of the Big Darby Creek watershed. The mission of the Big Darby Accord is to cooperatively develop a multi-jurisdictional plan and accompanying preservation and growth strategies, capable of implementation, oversight and enforcement, which are designed to:

•  Preserve, protect and improve, when possible, the Big Darby Creek watershed’s unique ecosystem by utilizing the best available science, engineering and land use planning practices;

•   Promote responsible growth by taking measures to provide for adequate public services and facilities and promote a full spectrum of housing choice, as well as adequate educational, recreational and civic opportunities, for citizens of each jurisdiction and for Central Ohio ;

•   Create a partnership that recognizes the identity, aspirations, rights, and duties of all jurisdictions and that develops methods of cooperation among the partners through means which include the cooperative utilization of public services and facilities; and

•   Capitalize on the results of other efforts by considering local comprehensive plans, as well as the work of the Environmentally Sensitive Development Area External Advisory Group, the Hellbranch Forum, the 21st Century Growth Policy Team and other local planning and zoning efforts, in the development of the plan

The three efforts above represent collaborative and pro-active planning efforts that have great potential to improve water quality at a regional level.  The outcomes of these planning efforts will be important for the overall success of the Darby Watershed.  For additional detailed information on current zoning and planning efforts in Franklin County and other municipalities please consult Appendix G.