Existing Character
The Coffman Park Area is centrally located within the City in close proximity to Historic Dublin. This area includes existing portions of Coffman Park, planned park expansion areas and future commercial development areas. It is bordered to the north by the Shannon Park, Hemingway Village, Dublinshire and Indian Run Meadows residential developments, to the southeast by the I-270/U.S. 33 interchange, and to the south and west by Post Road and Commerce Parkway. The Village at Coffman Park residential development was approved in 2005 and includes 66 residential condominium units adjacent to the park along Post Road. Area topography is relatively flat with some relief along the South Fork of Indian Run adjacent to Post Road. Several agricultural barns and outbuildings are located along the south side of Post Road and provide the potential for integration into future plans. Perimeter Drive and Emerald Parkway divide undeveloped sites, and portions along the I-270/U.S. 33 interchange provide significant visibility to the area.
Existing park amenities include a broad range of recreational programming, the Municipal Building, Dublin Community Recreation Center (DCRC), Fletcher-Coffman Homestead and the Justice Center. In 2003, City Council adopted the Coffman Park Open Space Expansion Plan that serves as an additional policy guide for future park development.
The Emerald/Perimeter Area is centrally located within the Emerald Corporate Business District along the Emerald Parkway corridor. This area plan was originally referred to as the Coffman Park Area Plan in previous versions of the Community Plan. In 2010 the City entered into an Economic Development Agreement to facilitate corporate office development at the southwest corner of Emerald Parkway and Perimeter Drive, on land that had been planned as an expansion area for the park. The City has acquired additional properties and is now in the process of preparing a more detailed master plan for Coffman Park, focusing on land to the north of Perimeter Drive and west of Emerald Parkway, generally as depicted in this plan. The remainder of this area includes approximately 24 acres of relatively flat, undeveloped land located between Emerald Parkway and the I-270/U.S. 33 Interchange, providing significant development opportunity in a high-visibility portion of the City.
Planning Challenges and Issues
Expand and enhance parkland
Consistent with past planning efforts, expansion of Coffman Park provides an excellent opportunity to create a memorable “central park” for Dublin residents. Available options to provide added recreational and civic space for activities such as the Dublin Irish Festival can result in substantial benefit to the community. Potential civic or public uses can be integrated with a mix of active and passive recreational programming, and the park’s location at the intersection of Post Road and Emerald Parkway provides a visible focal point along one of Dublin’s busiest corridors.
Improve access and area circulation
Establishing a proper balance between local transportation needs and area land use/design objectives are important for a safe and valued community park. Through the future widening of Perimeter Drive from Emerald to Holt Road, the transportation system can meet future demands for east-west connectivity. The ability to also link Post Road to Commerce Parkway will provide a clearly defined edge to the park. As a community focal point, the ability to create defined edges and entry points into the park is valuable to establish an identity. Reducing roads that facilitate through movements in the park also greatly enhance the pedestrian environment of the park and will allow for more efficient traffic movement at the intersection of Emerald Parkway and I-270, improving access and travel time along Dublin’s major employment corridor.
Protect the character of Post Road
Portions of Post Road between Emerald Parkway to Holt Road still retain a very rural character. The visual impact of the South Fork Indian Run corridor and its natural areas and informal landscaping and woodland provide a scenic backdrop. As a former unimproved state route, the ability to retain the area’s character through alternative road design standards, maintenance procedures and landscape elements (native and naturalized plantings, fencing, etc.) will be critical to ensuring the pastoral view of the road. Maintenance and reuse of historic residences and outbuildings are also an important design component for consideration.
Encourage high quality development
Portions of the Coffman Park Area between Emerald ParkwayLand within this area was rezoned for office development in 2011, and I-270 havewith a combination of excellent visibility and suitable access, and are from Emerald Parkway, is now poised for development. Plans for future interchange improvements and acquisition of right-of-way should be considered as properties are developed. Flyover ramps and other elements in the interchange design may be a significant component of the site design process. High quality office uses should be sought that will provide street-oriented architecture, and parking that is adequately screened from Emerald Parkway.
Manage access and internal circulation
The majority of the land between Emerald Parkway and I-270 is under single ownership with established access points from Emerald Parkway. Three additional parcels of land located along Post Road and comprising approximately 3.5 acres offer additional development opportunity, but with significant access challenges due to traffic volumes on Post Road, topographic change related to the nearby I-270 overpass, and proximity to the intersection of Emerald Parkway and Post Road. Two of these parcels are owned by the City of Dublin and could be combined with adjacent land to create a new development site with excellent visibility from Post Road; however, direct vehicular access from Post Road should be discouraged to minimize traffic conflicts and maximize the street-orientation of new architecture. Opportunities for coordinated development and shared access with adjacent properties should be explored.
Improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity
As Dublin’s main open space focus, pedestrian connectivity should be provided to Coffman Park in all directions. Both sidewalk and bike path connections and tunnels at key locations should be provided to surrounding neighborhoods, parks and commercial developments; in addition, greenways throughout Dublin should be interconnected where possible to provide continuous regional pedestrian access from all areas of the City. In particular, visual and physical linkages should be encouraged between Coffman Park and Historic Dublin to link with the Scioto River Corridor and additional connections should be sought to link with the Northwest and Southwest Areas.
Enhance the natural value of the park
The South Fork Indian Run serves as the natural element upon which Coffman Park is focused. Incorporating a variety of natural areas and plant communities, the stream provides a wealth of programming opportunities. Future development of the park should protect and buffer the South Fork, and efforts should be made to incorporate additional habitats, natural areas and elements into the overall design of the park. Residential properties that have been purchased over the past decade also provide a significant opportunity to provide looped pathways for hiking and jogging, as well as future nature and interpretive programs within the park. Park development should be coordinated with larger greenway initiatives to provide regional connectivity and wildlife corridors.
The close proximity of Coffman Park requires special attention to pedestrian and bicycle mobility in this area. In 2010, Dublin’s first bicycle sharrow markings were added to Emerald Parkway in this portion of the corridor to enhance the traveling conditions for on-road cyclists. This improvement should be continually monitored to ensure safety and efficiency for cyclists and motorists alike. Off-street shared use paths along Emerald Parkway and Perimeter Drive offer additional options for a wider range of users and provide direct access to Coffman Park. As the centerpiece of Dublin’s larger greenway system, additional shared use path connections to and from Coffman Park should be explored to facilitate pedestrian and bicycle travel throughout the City. An existing portion of shared use path runs along the South Fork of the Indian Run beneath I-270; although currently disconnected from the larger path network, this segment provides an exceptional opportunity to integrate new greenways planned within the Bridge Street District into the City’s larger open space system. Opportunities to extend this path to Coffman Park should be explored, with sensitivity to the stream corridor and the nearby Willow Grove neighborhood. Future interchange improvements could also impact the existing I-270 stream crossing. The City should work with the Ohio Department of Transportation to ensure the greenway connection is maintained.
Planning Goals
…To expand Coffman Park as a civic and open space focal point within the City and to…To encourage appropriately-sited, high quality office development along the I-270/U.S. 33 interchange area that maximizes development potential and acts as a park bufferto enhance an important greenway link within the city-wide open space system.
