Columbus Staff Object to Apartment District and Narrow Lots in 608-Unit Norton Road Plan
Zoning and traffic officials cited Big Darby Accord policies and street design rules for the 151-acre southwest Columbus development.
Forestar (USA) Real Estate Development, Inc. has filed a rezoning application to build a 608-unit master-planned community across 151.82 acres at 3030 Norton Road in southwest Columbus. The proposal, named Bolton Fields, seeks to rezone the site to permit a single family housing development on the PUD-6 portion and an apartment complex on the AR-1 portion, totaling 608 units.
According to submitted civil plans, the single-family portion would occupy 132.30 acres under Planned Unit Development (PUD-6) zoning with 75.88 acres of open space across 374 single-family lots, while the apartment complex would sit on the remaining acreage under Apartment Residential (AR-1) zoning for 234 units. The single-family lots are divided into four sub-areas, ranging from 30- and 35-foot-wide parcels to 40- and 50-foot lots.
In a July 29, 2026, review letter, City of Columbus zoning staff formally objected to the proposed apartment district. Staff wrote that zoning staff does not support the proposed AR-1 district due to its location within the Big Darby Accord planning area. Staff advised Forestar to either convert the apartment tract to a limited district (L-AR-1) or rezone the entire property under a unified planned development with binding commitments for stormwater controls, right-of-way, and mature tree preservation. The Big Darby Creek watershed is an environmentally sensitive ecological corridor in central Ohio protected under regional accords and conservation agreements for its rare freshwater biodiversity.
The city's Division of Traffic Management also does not support the proposed platting of 30' wide lots in Sub-Area 1 or 35' wide lots in Sub-Area 2 if such lots are proposed to front public streets. Traffic officials said the developer must either alter the layout to provide alley or private street access, or widen all home lots in those sections to at least 40 feet. Traffic officials also outlined requirements for dedicated right-of-way on Norton and Johnson roads, roadway improvements to Johnson Road, a traffic impact study, and a connecting street through the apartment parcel.
City planning staff requested further design adjustments, including linking retention basins near the Hellbranch Run stream to green infrastructure practices and reorienting home lots so they do not back directly onto open space. The proposal must clear revisions before it can proceed to review from the Big Darby Accord Advisory Panel and the Westland Area Commission, followed by hearings before the Columbus Development Commission and Columbus City Council.
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Supporting evidence (3)
Forestar (USA) Real Estate Development, Inc. has filed a rezoning application to build a 608-unit master-planned community across 151.82 acres at 3030 Norton Road in southwest Columbus.
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3030 Norton Rd, Columbus, OH 43123
The proposal, named Bolton Fields, seeks to rezone the site to permit a single family housing development on the PUD-6 portion and an apartment complex on the AR-1 portion, totaling 608 units.
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Rezoning a portion of the site to AR-1 and a portion of the site to PUD-6 to permit a single family housing development on the PUD-6 portion and an apartment complex on the AR-1 portion.
In a July 29, 2026, review letter, City of Columbus zoning staff formally objected to the proposed apartment district.
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July 29, 2026
Supporting evidence (1)
The proposal, named Bolton Fields, seeks to rezone the site to permit a single family housing development on the PUD-6 portion and an apartment complex on the AR-1 portion, totaling 608 units.
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TOTAL UNITS: 608 UNITS
Supporting evidence (1)
Staff wrote that zoning staff does not support the proposed AR-1 district due to its location within the Big Darby Accord planning area.
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Zoning staff does not support the proposed AR-1 district due to its location within the Big Darby Accord planning area.
Supporting evidence (1)
The city's Division of Traffic Management also does not support the proposed platting of 30' wide lots in Sub-Area 1 or 35' wide lots in Sub-Area 2 if such lots are proposed to front public streets.
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The Division of Traffic Management does not support the proposed platting of 30' wide lots in Sub-Area 1 or 35' wide lots in Sub-Area 2 if such lots are proposed to front public streets.
Supporting evidence (1)
The proposal must clear revisions before it can proceed to review from the Big Darby Accord Advisory Panel and the Westland Area Commission, followed by hearings before the Columbus Development Commission and Columbus City Council.
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Staff note that the proposal will be subject to a review from the Big Darby Accord Advisory Panel.