The City Planning, Projects and Services Committee of Hilliard City Council on Aug. 27 considered an update to the Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan and a rezoning application for a 21-acre parcel at Scioto Darby and Alton Darby Creek roads.

The adoption of the updated mitigation plan is required in order for Hilliard to be eligible to apply for state or federal relief in the event of a natural disaster. A resolution adopting the updated plan is scheduled for a first reading at the Sept. 10 council meeting.

Hilliard approved the plan Feb. 26, 2007, at the request of the Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security. It includes recommendations for hazard mitigation actions to help reduce the effects of flooding and other natural disasters.

Hilliard is one of many central Ohio cities that have or are expected to adopt the updated plan.

The ordinance to rezone 21.5 acres of land on the south side of Scioto Darby Road, 800 feet west of Alton Darby Creek Road, from rural to special district, which includes religious uses, was introduced at the Aug. 27 meeting.

Northwest Bible Church recently purchased the parcel. It was annexed in March 2011 from Brown Township into the city of Hilliard, and last September, the Hilliard Planning and Zoning Commission recommended rezoning the parcel to the special district designation.

The ordinance completing the rezoning is scheduled for a first reading at the Sept. 10 council meeting.

Committee members also forwarded City Council an ordinance supporting an Ohio Public Works Commission grant application prepared by the Franklin County Engineer's Office.

The engineer's office is scheduled to repair a bridge on Cosgray Road, just north of Scioto Darby Road where it crosses the Clover Groff Run.

Hilliard will pay for 60 percent of the project cost and the engineer's office will pay 40 percent. Any grant obtained by the engineer's office would reduce the overall cost of the project.