A packed crowd filled the council chambers Thursday night as residents weighed in on a proposed 246-unit apartment development on the Boundless campus at 445 East Granville Road. After extensive public testimony, the Municipal Planning Commission tabled the application, requesting additional information including a traffic impact study before further consideration.
The proposal arrives as Worthington works to address a documented housing shortage. Last month, City Council adopted a Workforce Housing Tax Abatement Program targeting 1,300 new units, part of the city's response to regional housing goals and local demand identified in the city's housing assessment. Several recently elected council members campaigned on expanding housing options, with voters signaling support for more diverse housing to help young families move to Worthington and seniors age in place.
The Proposal
Elford Real Estate is seeking to purchase and develop approximately 20 acres of the 40+ acre Boundless property (the former Harding Hospital site). The proposal includes:
- 246 apartment units in a mix of one and two-bedroom configurations
- 30% workforce housing (74 units) available at 80% Area Median Income, targeting teachers, nurses, and young professionals making approximately $60,000 annually
- Building heights ranging from two stories near the southern property line adjacent to Colonial Hills homes, to three stories in the central portion, with two-story carriage houses along the western edge
- Two single-family residential lots on Park Overlook Drive, designed to match existing lot sizes in the neighborhood
- A shared-use pedestrian path along the western portion of the development, open to the public
- Emergency-only access from Indianola Avenue, with the primary entrance via a new roundabout on East Granville Road
- Protection of Rush Run creek, with Elford taking responsibility for maintenance of the ravine area
Dr. Patrick Maynard, President and CEO of I AM Boundless, explained that the organization has been working to improve the property since acquiring it in 2017. "We've gone back and forth with Colonial Hills and Rush Creek to have innumerous numbers of meetings to help create a master plan around the campus and to figure out how to coexist and more than coexist to be good neighbors," he said.
The sale would provide Boundless with resources to renovate buildings on the west side of their campus to better serve children with autism, and would bring approximately 100 new jobs to Worthington, Maynard noted.
Developer's Response to Community Feedback
Mike Fitzpatrick, managing partner of Elford Real Estate, emphasized that the company has held seven community meetings with neighbors over the course of developing this proposal. He highlighted several changes made based on resident feedback:
- Adding the two single-family homes on Park Overlook to maintain the residential streetscape
- Reducing the southern buildings to two stories to transition more appropriately to adjacent single-family homes
- Including the pedestrian path to preserve public access to the property
- Committing to keeping the Indianola access as emergency-only
"We are steadfastly committed to leaving the rear axis as only emergency access," Fitzpatrick stated. "We've heard that loud and clear."
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Public Comment
More than a dozen residents spoke during the public comment period, with opinions divided on the project's merits.
Density, Scale, and Design
The most common concern from adjacent residents focused on whether the development fits with the surrounding neighborhood. A resident of Park Overlook Drive noted that the 246 units with an estimated 330 residents feels out of proportion with the surrounding homes and the neighborhood infrastructure. Another Park Overlook resident argued the development does not qualify as "low density" as recommended in an earlier neighborhood area plan.
Some questioned the architectural approach. A resident of West Short Street called the design a box with Cape Cod dressing, while a resident of White Oak Place said it looked like a builder basic dump in any suburb.
However, a resident of Andover Street saw it differently: "I have seen multiple places where the developers listened to the community in terms of stepping back the development further to deal with the scale issues... I think they've done a great job in bringing the path into our community."
Traffic and Infrastructure
A resident of Park Boulevard raised concerns about infrastructure capacity, noting that the bridge over the ravine between Route 161 and the proposed roundabout may not support additional traffic. The White Oak Place resident also pointed out that CSX owns the railroad bridge over East Granville Road, questioning what any traffic study could accomplish given that limitation.
The commission acknowledged these concerns by requiring a traffic impact study before further consideration.
Neighborhood Character and Green Space
Several speakers from Park Overlook lamented the loss of an informal open space that children and neighbors currently use. One resident shared a statement from his nine-year-old daughter expressing concern about wildlife and play areas. A Park Overlook resident expressed concern that the development "creates a hard edge to our neighborhood as opposed to a smooth transition."
One resident of East Selby Boulevard offered a different perspective: "There's a lot of citizens in Colonial Hills that do support this project and I know you hear from squeaky wheels a lot."
What Happens Next
The Municipal Planning Commission tabled the application unanimously, with several pieces of information still needed:
- Traffic impact study - The city engineer is working with the applicant's traffic consultant to define the scope
- Stormwater management plan - Critical given recent city investments in Rush Run flood mitigation upstream
- Subdivision application - Required to formally divide the property
- Utility and sanitary sewer impact analysis
Planning Director Lee Brown clarified several points for the audience:
- The PUD zoning would give the city stronger legal "teeth" to ensure the Indianola access remains emergency-only
- Current S-1 zoning already allows buildings up to four stories, so the proposed three-story maximum represents a reduction
- A "no disturbance, no build zone" is being negotiated to protect the Rush Run ravine area
- The school district has been consulted and expressed no concerns; one-bedroom apartments historically generate only 0.21 students per unit
Chair Mikel Coulter reminded the audience that this is a process. "We're not voting tonight, other than to table. When they come back at the next meeting, we probably will not vote to either go forward or not go forward, we'll probably table it again," he said. Any approved recommendation would still require City Council approval, providing another opportunity for public input.
Board member David Foust encouraged residents with concerns to also bring solutions: "What really helps is if you have specific ideas... Maybe you have some examples of Cape Cod style buildings in central Ohio that might give the developer some ideas for realistic changes."
The application is expected to return to the MPC within approximately six weeks, once the traffic study and other required information has been submitted and reviewed.