Hilliard officials are moving to add 333 acres of conservation land to Homestead Metro Park, a deal that would stretch the park’s footprint to 376 acres. The transfer involves the city and homebuilder M/I Homes, which holds two parcels within its Hill Farm development.
One parcel, 46.6 acres along Elliott Road, is already city‑owned and will transfer to Metro Parks. The other, about 23 acres near Barbeau Lane, sits adjacent to the existing park and the Heritage Trail; Hilliard will keep 2.2 acres for its Orangeberry Water Tower.
The new acreage lies within the Big Darby Creek watershed and includes the headwaters of Clover Groff Run, a vital part of the watershed that will be protected once the land is incorporated.
Metro Parks plans to weave the new parcel into its trail network, extending the Heritage Rail Trail westward through Hill Farm toward Scioto Darby Creek Road, and restoring sections to prairie and wetland habitat.
The council introduced the authorization on September 14, with a second reading and public hearing before the final vote on September 28. The city’s regulations currently require 70% of development in the area to remain open space, compared with the regional 50% baseline.
Presently, Homestead Metro Park spans 43 acres and offers a covered bridge, a train‑station replica, two barns, a 2.5‑acre fishing pond, and a 6.1‑mile trail connection. Once the transfer is approved, visitors could eventually access a much larger green space that links conservation land, trails, and wetlands across the watershed.