Appendix
The appendix contains relevant information, data, and other items that were not included in the main plan document. There may be additional items included in this online Appendix that were not included in the print version due to space limitations.
Age-Friendly Columbus — Hilltop Comments
The content of this section was developed by Age Friendly Columbus: www.agefriendlycolumbus.org
What Did We Hear?
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Transportation
Accessibility and ease of public transportation
Health challenges impacted ability and desire to drive
Prefer not to drive at night or during inclement weather
Almost all attendees expressed interest in a Hilltop Senior Circulator (see route on next page)
“I would rather not drive but I feel like I have to.”
Housing
Most reported increased challenges with home upkeep as they age
Nearly all expressed interest in a service to connect seniors to affordable and reliable service providers
Safety
Overall perception of safety by residents was mixed; some feel safe, while others do not
Social Engagement
Biggest barriers to socialization reported: transportation and awareness
Despite most attendees reporting being social regularly, they were interested in more opportunities to connect with the community
Age-Friendly Strategies Previously Identified
“We deserve the same resources as everyone else.”
Strategy 3: Increase walkability of sidewalks and streets
Strategy 4: Encourage the use of multi-modal transportation options
Strategy 5: Empower older adults to prepare their homes to safely age in place
Strategy 6: Increase access to programs and information that allow older adults to age in the community
Strategy 12: Increase access to information, through a variety of community channels
Unmet Needs Identified
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Transportation
Mix of drivers and non-drivers; those not driving rely on a mix of family and friends, public transportation and formal service providers
Lack of sidewalks and lighting limit travel
General frustration with the current COTA routes within community, many feel routes do not align well with their intended travel
“My weekly hair appointment is just as important as my medical appointments.”
Housing
Repairs needed to homes cost more than value of home
Need more affordable living options in community
“Sometimes you pray for a disaster so you can get the money from insurance.”
Safety
Nearly every attendee has been a victim of crime or witnessed crime in their community
Concerns over vacant and abandoned homes
Regular dumping in alleys near homes
Lack of street lights
Concerns over drug use in the community
“The crime is getting so bad, it makes me want to move.”
Social Engagement
Attendees were interested in a wide variety of opportunities that would provide more engagement and community connection, including day trips, arts and crafts classes, and free community meals
Senior Circulator Route Map
1. Wheatland Crossing
6. Hilltop Senior Village​
2. PrimaryOne Health
7. KeyBank
3. Walgreens
8. My Deah's Store
4. Third Way Cafe
9. Columbus Metropolitan Library
5. Kroger
10. ALDI
Voting & Elections
Voting Data*
November 2016 General Election
Total Votes 5,940
Registered Voters 13,143
Participation Rate 45%
Voter Party Affiliation, 2018*
Democrat 1,981
Republican 1,019
Green 20
Unaffiliated 10,123
Ohio House District 17
Representative Adam C. Miller
77 S. High St, 10th Floor
Columbus, OH
Phone (614) 644-6005
Ohio Senate District 3
Senate Building, 1 Capitol Square
Ground Floor, Columbus, OH
Phone (614) 466-8064
U.S. Congressional District
3rd District of Ohio
Congresswoman Joyce Beatty
Columbus Office, 471 East Broad Street Suite 1100, Columbus, OH
(614) 220-0003
Hilltop Focus Area Precinct Map
*Data is for the 13 precincts most closely aligned with the Hilltop focus area, shown on the map.
C2P2 and the Hilltop Land Use Plan
Mayor Ginther has called for focused efforts to improve the quality of life on the Hilltop. A key part of this work is the Hilltop Community Plan which is being led by the City’s Department of Neighborhoods along with the Neighborhood Design Center and community leaders. The plan is taking a look at how best to respond to the important issues of housing; retail and small business; education and workforce; along with health and safety. You can learn more about the Hilltop Community Plan process by visiting
www.envisionhilltop.com.
The Hilltop Community Plan will not cover land use and development guidelines. In order to provide the Hilltop neighborhoods with the most up-to-date land use policies and design guidelines, the City also developed the Hilltop Land Use Plan. This effort works with, but is different than the Hilltop Community Plan process. The Hilltop Land Use Plan process is a partnership between the Columbus Planning Division and the Greater Hilltop Area Commission. Visit www.columbus.gov/planning/C2P2 to view the land use plan.
On September 16, 2019, Columbus City Council adopted the Hilltop Land Use Plan. Land Use Plans are primarily used to guide community and city review of future rezoning and variance requests. The planning process was initiated in the summer of 2018. The plan is a Columbus Citywide Planning Policies (C2P2) document and is used with the core elements of C2P2: Guiding Principles, Design Guidelines and Land Use Policies. For more information, please visit www.columbus.gov/planning/C2P2.
ABOUT COLUMBUS CITYWIDE PLANNING POLICIES
Columbus Citywide Planning Policies (C2P2) serve as the basis for land use planning within the city of Columbus and specifically address land use and design in development review. C2P2 includes four primary elements: Guiding Principles, Design Guidelines, Land Use Policies, and Land Use Plans. The first three elements are applicable citywide, while Land Use Plans are area specific. Together, the four elements are used to guide community and city review of rezoning and variance applications.
Columbus Citywide Planning Policies are:
Adopted city policy.
Used to guide community and city review of future rezoning and variance requests.
NOT…City code or law, and do not change existing zoning or zoning overlays already in place.
NOT…used to address operational issues or issues unrelated to the built and natural environment, such as healthcare, code enforcement, and public safety. These items are outside the scope of the planning process.
NOT…used to directly plan for traffic, congestion, or storm-water issues. (Instead, these matters are addressed as part of the development review process managed by the Department of Building and Zoning Services.)
SUMMARY OF PUBLIC INPUT TO THE LAND USE PLAN
Key areas of community input focusing on land use and urban design issues included the following:
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High density development is desired along the West Broad Street and Sullivant Avenue corridors, with more neighborhood oriented mixed use or commercial development along Sullivant Avenue.
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Additional restaurants, shopping and entertainment uses are desired along the corridors and in the area.
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There is a lot of untapped buying power in the area.
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Preserving greenspace should be a priority.
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Clean up the area—eliminate litter.
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Good housing stock in the area.
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The real estate prices are very affordable for both residential and commercial.
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Home ownership needs to be encouraged more.
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A more walkable environment is desired.
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Redevelopment is welcome, but the historical character of the neighborhood should be preserved.
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Too many used car lots, check cashing places, pawn shops, and drive-through carry outs.
KEY LAND USE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
The Hilltop Land Use Plan is designed to be used with the C2P2 Land Use Policies and Design Guidelines to review development proposals. Some of the plan’s key recommendations are:
Design Guidelines: The C2P2 Design Guidelines work with the Hilltop Land Use Plan to encourage high quality design for future development proposals in the Plan Area.
Proposed Land Use: The recommended land use map in the Hilltop Land Use Plan provides guidance for every parcel in plan area. Together with the C2P2 Land Use Polices, the map will be used to review development proposals.
Mixed Use Development and Transit Corridors: The Hilltop Land Use Plan recommends focused mixed use development on West Broad Street and Sullivant Avenue, as well as portions of Georgesville Road and Mound Street. This is based on the idea that these areas will continue to serve as the Hilltop’s “Main Street” and that these commercial areas represent transit corridors where new or more intense development is most appropriate.
Protection of Employment Centers: The Hilltop Land Use Plan designates several large areas with the Employment Center designation, which encourages the protection and expansion of employment related uses.
Neighborhood Infill: The Hilltop Land Use Plan supports new single family homes and doubles in the heart of the neighborhood.
Area-Specific Policies: The Hilltop Land Use Plan provides focused attention on a number of issues. These include the use of commercial overlay standards within areas recommended for mixed use, future consideration of an urban mixed use zoning district along West Broad Street, support for preservation and reuse of contributing buildings on West Broad Street and Sullivant Avenue, natural resource preservation in the undeveloped area south of Rea Avenue, providing policy guidance on the expansion of commercial uses beyond an alley, and several other topics.
Hilltop Early Childhood Partnership Report
Urban Land Institute 1992 Report Summary
An Evaluation of the Citywide Delivery System for Affordable Housing and of Revitalization Strategies for the Hilltop
Recommendations
Residential Areas:
Establish linkages between the Columbus school system and city government, particularly those departments responsible for revitalizing center-city neighborhoods
Stabilize and improve housing market
Help the Hilltop achieve a good level of rehabilitation through reinstitution of a targeted, systematic code enforcement program
Use code enforcement primarily for violations in basically sound buildings with minor deficiencies, as well as to achieve higher property standards
Target the area for private rehabilitation assistance using loan and grant programs from all sources
Offer incentives and encourage private reinvestment in property rehabilitation, with code enforcement employed as a sanction when voluntary efforts are not forthcoming
Undue restrictions on rehabilitation based on new home standards shouldn’t be permitted to constrain rehabilitation activity
Remove all substandard and abandoned buildings not suitable for rehabilitation
This report is available at the Columbus Metropolitan Library, in the Local History and Genealogy Section.
Commercial Areas:
Removal of blighted properties on both Broad and Sullivant
Target commercial development and redevelopment to Broad Street, which has a greater potential as a commercial corridor than Sullivant
Cluster viable commercial uses, in compact nodes on Sullivant
Vacant and remaining lots along the street should be appropriately rezoned and encouraged to convert back into residential uses, public functions, or low-density offices
Alternatively, vacant lots can be land-banked as green and open spaces
Design adequate parking to minimize impact of traffic on the neighborhood at commercial and institutional uses along arterial roads
Take care to plan access thoughtfully and buffer adjacent residences from parking impacts, such as landscaping and lighting to help make parking design more attractive and compatible with the neighborhood
State Lands:
Redevelopment of the state lands should be considered an important opportunity for the Hilltop and Columbus as a whole
Large-scale, comprehensively planned development, such as a “new town” combining both residential and commercial uses, might be appropriate for these lands
Such a development could create its own market demand from within the overall population growth occurring in the metropolitan area, or serve as a focal point and stimulus for revitalization of the surrounding area
State lands development must be compatible with the uses and scale of the Hilltop neighborhood
Concerns will likely include impact on access and traffic issues, design compatibility, edge treatments, and isolation/integration issues
All future planning of the state lands and development of the final recommendations for their use should follow an open and responsive planning process that is sensitive to input from residents
Shared Mobility Data
Lyft Ridesharing Pickup and Dropoff Data, Summer 2019
Lyft pick-up and drop-off data for June, July, and August 2019. Provided via email in September 2019 by Lyft General Manager - Central/Southern Ohio & Kentucky.
Lime E-Scooter and E-Bike Data, June 2019
Trips that either started or ended in the Hilltop area
Lime E-Scooter and E-Bike Data, June 2019
All trip starts and ends in Central Ohio
Data provided by Lime to the Columbus Department of Public Service show a low rate of use in the Hilltop area. The map at right shows that few trips end downtown, but many begin in Downtown or Franklinton. The Hilltop library at Hague & Sullivant Avenues appears to be a significant destination.
A few trips began relatively far from the Hilltop, like one on the Near East Side and one on the South Side (shown in the map above).
Bird E-Scooter Heat Maps, Summer 2019
June 2019
July 2019
August 2019
Excerpts from Police Division Operational Review
Matrix Consulting Group REPORT, AUGUST 2019
Key Themes from Hilltop Community Outreach
Community Engagement
The bike patrol officers are an improvement. More bike patrol or other on-foot officers should be present in neighborhoods to improve visibility and increase engagement with residents.
Top-down leadership and increased community engagement are needed.
Officer Support
Police departments are understaffed. Increasing the number of precincts and widely spreading them will improve response times.
The justice system is a “revolving door.” Individuals are arrested and then immediately released, creating low morale among the police force.
Social services taking the pressure off the police is important. Police officers are not social workers and should be available to respond to more crime and less mental health crises.
Transparency
Response times for the Columbus Police Department are slow across the board. Several residents expressed that wait times are 30-40 minutes at minimum after a call is placed. Reports are inaccurate and/or scrubbed and do not reflect actual events.
Select Recommendations about Hilltop/Zone 3
Clearly, zones 4 and 5 have by far the highest proactivity levels at around 36.2%, and 41.0% respectively, while zones 2 and 3 are both below 23%. This indicates that fewer officers are allocated to these areas relative to the amount of workload.
Specifically, two officers should be transferred to Zone 2 and Zone 3, which have lowest staffing levels relative to workload, resulting in the least amount of proactive time available.
Key Findings of the Full Report
Disparities in the perception of policing: While overall perceptions of CPD are very high (80%), the positive perceptions drop significantly among black residents (61%).
Disparities in the Division: Perceptions of bias and discrimination within CPD vary greatly. 51% of black employees have experienced discrimination. Gender bias and sexual orientation appear to be issues, as well.
Supervision: While Matrix found policies and training at CPD are excellent, implementation of these policies and procedures is inconsistent.
Deployment: Matrix suggested ways to improve deployment of officers to assure that appropriate number of officers are on duty at the right time.
Officer wellness: Matrix found significant room for enhancing officer well-being, including expanding the definition of trauma and continuing to instill a stronger cultural understanding around the need for psychological care.
Seniority: Special assignments and promotions are based too heavily on seniority instead of merit.
Read the full report below
Insight2050 Corridor Concepts EXCERPTS ABOUT WEST BROAD STREET
Read the full report below
Hilltop Departing Students — Columbus City Schools
Ohio State Univeristy Student Projects / Autumn 2018
Students at The Ohio State University completed projects as part of their studio work in the undergraduate and graduate City & Regional Planning Department. See the issuu portal (at right) for descriptions of each project and the documents.
Dry Run Stream Restoration Recommendations
Extending from I-270 to the west until outfall into the Scioto River, Dry Run Stream has been dramatically impacted by development on the Hilltop via man-made channels and underground piping. Thankfully, the Columbus Department of Recreation and Parks has earmarked $1.3 million to restore a segment of Dry Run behind Westmoor Middle School, Hilltop YMCA, and Glenwood Methodist Church to a natural stream channel and broad floodplain. While Dry Run largely maintains a natural character as it winds through both Holton and Glenview Parks, the steps listed below would dramatically enhance this wonderful community asset even further.
COMMUNITY CLEAN UP
While the integrity of the stream seems sound at first glance, it has been subject to various forms of dumping and fallen debris. Before any restoration efforts can begin, the parks and stream would benefit greatly from a community cleanup event.
REMOVE INVASIVE SPECIES
The invasive Lonicera maackii, or Amur Honeysuckle, is present in many urban riparian zones like Dry Run. It pushes out other species that provide stream health and animal habitat. In order to gain control, the entire plant must be removed (including roots).
RESTORE NATIVE UNDERSTORY
Once more space under the tree canopy is established with the removal of the Amur Honeysuckle, native understory species can be planted. Examples include Rough-leaf Dogwood, Winterberry, Spicebush, and Arrowwood.
EDUCATIONAL WAYFINDING
As Dry Run flows through Holton and Glenview Parks and along the Camp Chase and Sullivant bike trails, there are opportunities to educate the community about efforts taken to restore the stream corridor and highlight this significant urban ecosystem.
EXPAND BANK STABILIZATION Sedimentation, eroding banks causing too much soil in the water, is an indicator of poor water quality and leads to soil entering the confluence point in the Scioto River. Taking measures to stabilize banks and clear debris will greatly improve the stream’s health.
IMPROVE ACCESS
The creation of a mulched path around the perimeter of Holton Park will enhance stream access. Civic assets could be linked by installing a staircase at the terminus of Eldon Avenue to connect the Camp Chase Trail to Holton Park.