The City of Hilliard announced Monday that it plans to transfer 333 acres of land to Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks, a move that would expand Homestead MetroPark and push protected space in the Big Darby Creek watershed past 10,000 acres. The land, assembled through years of suburban development deals, is planned for public use, with wetlands, prairie restoration, and new trails planned for the site over the next several years.
According to the City of Hilliard, Hilliard City Council introduced the authorization legislation on Sept. 14, with final approval expected on Sept. 28. As reported by WSYX, the new acreage sits west into the Darby watershed and will take a few years to fully develop before eventually opening to the public, even as the existing Homestead MetroPark continues operating each day. Metro Parks plans to restore prairie areas, add wetlands, and build out trails across the new addition, per the station's report.
How Hilliard's Development Rules Built the Land Bank
The transferred acreage wasn't purchased outright — it was assembled through developer open-space mandates tied to a 2023 Hilliard policy. That rule requires 70% of land in new residential developments to be preserved as open space, a threshold that exceeds the 50% open-space standard required under the regional Big Darby Accord, the city notes. Homebuilders including M/I Homes, Fischer Homes, Pulte Homes, and Rockford Homes contributed land under those agreements, effectively stitching together the connected land now headed to Metro Parks.
Metro Parks Executive Director Tim Maloney credited close cooperation with Hilliard and other township leaders for making the expansion possible, telling the station's report that “amazing things can happen when people work together and the Darby is just getting started.” Maloney added that Central Ohio can continue to grow in an environmentally sensitive way, framing the transfer as proof that development and conservation can move forward side by side.
A Watershed Already Under Political Strain
The expansion lands amid ongoing tension over how western Franklin County should grow. The Big Darby Accord Watershed Master Plan, originally adopted by five Central Ohio local governments to protect the watershed, underwent a major draft update in late 2025 and early 2026 to address regional housing growth and infrastructure pressures, according to the City of Hilliard. The watershed covers 6.7 square miles of Hilliard's western boundary and supports over 100 fish species and 44 mussel species, the city notes.
That update sparked friction when the City of Columbus proposed allowing housing density up to 12 units per acre in portions of the watershed, prompting pushback from Hilliard, Brown Township, and local school districts, as reported by WOSU. Columbus controls central sewer service extensions in western Franklin County, giving it significant leverage over how fast development can spread near the creek, per WOSU's reporting.
Funding a Decade of Expansion
Metro Parks now operates 22 natural area parks encompassing over 28,900 acres of land and water across seven central Ohio counties, drawing more than 12 million visits annually, according to Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks. Much of that growth traces back to a 10-year, 0.95-mill property tax levy approved by Franklin County voters in November 2018, which committed the park district to opening new parks and expanding protected preserves.
Metro Parks operates Battelle Darby Creek and Prairie Oaks Metro Parks. Battelle Darby Creek remains the largest park in the system at over 7,000 acres.
What's Already at Homestead
Homestead MetroPark features a train-station replica, a covered bridge, and paved trails. The original site sits at 4675 Cosgray Road in Hilliard. Metro Parks is currently making renovations at the existing park even as it prepares to naturalize the newly acquired acreage next door.
The Big Darby watershed's ecological standing has long driven this kind of acquisition. The watershed is known for rare freshwater mussels and native prairies.
Part of a Bigger Statewide Pattern
Outdoor recreation can bring economic and community benefits.
Maloney's framing of the Homestead expansion as ongoing rather than finished fits the district's broader trajectory. Metro Parks continues long-term expansion efforts across the region, with the new Darby acreage joining a system that is far from done growing.
