HILLIARD, Ohio — Hilliard City Council is scheduled to vote Sept. 28 on a proposal to transfer roughly 333 acres of conservation land to Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks, a move that would expand Homestead Metro Park and permanently preserve more land in the Big Darby Creek watershed. The proposal was presented to council Sept. 14. If approved, Homestead Metro Park would grow to 376 acres, while Metro Parks’ protected holdings in the Darby watershed would surpass 10,000 acres. The land is tied to conservation agreements in the Hill Farm and Hill Farm II developments. The proposed legislation would amend Hilliard’s agreements with homebuilder M/I Homes so acreage—including the headwaters of Clover Groff Run—can be transferred from the developer to Metro Parks. Hilliard adopted a policy in 2023 requiring 70% of land in new developments in the area to remain open space. That exceeds the 50% open-space standard used by other communities participating in the Big Darby Accord, a regional effort focused on protecting the watershed as development continues. The city’s plan follows several recent development-related land transfers. Council approved Hill Farm II in March 2025. The 300-home expansion near Elliott Road covers 265 acres, with 186 acres designated as open space. In June, council also authorized the transfer of approximately 35 acres from the Clover Meadows development to Metro Parks. The broader 333-acre addition was assembled through agreements involving M/I Homes, Fischer Homes, Pulte Homes and Rockford Homes. “By prioritizing open space as our community grows, we have created an opportunity to permanently preserve hundreds of acres of land and expand access to nature for generations to come,” Assistant City Manager Dan Ralley said in a city release. Metro Parks plans to restore wetlands, native prairies and forests across the new acreage. Possible future amenities include natural-surface trails and boardwalks, although officials have not announced a schedule for those improvements. The area is expected to focus on conservation and passive recreation rather than intensive development. The agreement would also give Metro Parks responsibility for operating, maintaining and patrolling designated regional trails. Those routes include about 2.4 miles of the Heritage Trail south of Hayden Run Road and a trail connecting Homestead Metro Park through nearby subdivisions to Scioto Darby Creek Road. Metro Parks would take on routine maintenance and patrol costs for those trails. Hilliard and Metro Parks would continue coordinating major construction and renovation projects on city-owned trail property. “The partnership between the City of Hilliard and Metro Parks will have a long-lasting impact not only on Hilliard, but on the region and beyond,” Metro Parks Executive Director Tim Moloney said in a release.