Current Conditions
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29 Section 3 Current Conditions Background 31 Natural Resources 33 Community Facilities 37 Public Services 41 Community Character 43 Transportation 45 Surrounding Jurisdictions 46 Big Darby Accord 48 Current Land Use 51 30 31 Background History Flood of 1913 Pleasant Township was organized in 1807. In late March 1913, it rained steadily for five Originally, the township was approximately days and the streams all over Ohio rose rap- four to five times larger than its present area. idly. By the third day, levees were breeched The formation of Jackson Township in 1815 and many towns were flooded. Unchecked and Prairie Township in 1819 greatly reduced fires added to the destruction and the loss of the size of the township. The first settlement in life. When the waters receded, mud and debris Pleasant Township was on the Big Darby Creek, covered streets, homes and businesses. The final near Georgesville. Among the first settlers were death toll was 361. Property damages were well Thomas Roberts, John Bigger, James Gardiner, over $100 million and 65,000 residents were Samuel Dyer, Samuel Kerr and John Turner. forced to temporarily leave their homes. The pioneers of the 1800s found the Darby plains very challenging for agriculture. It was only after the land was drained and tilled that The flood of 1913 caused life and property losses the wet prairie was converted into productive throughout Ohio farmland, still a primary land use in Pleasant Township today. Commerce and community services were estab- lished in the early 1800s. Samuel Dyer erected a grist mill in 1805, which is now part of the Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park system and known as Dyer’s mill. It was the only flouring mill in the township. In 1815, the Pleasant Post Office was established. Thomas Roberts laid out the town of Georgesville in 1816 and the name of the post office was changed to Georgesville Post Office in 1818. In June, 1836, the town of Harrisburg was laid Ohio Historical Society out by Joseph Chenowith and Frederick Cole. The village contained about 30 families. 32 CURRENT CONDITIONS | PLEASANT TOWNSHIP COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Highway-oriented development on Harrisburg Pike near I-71 Franklin County Interstate Development Department of Transportation, then called the Ohio Department of Highways, began con- Pleasant Township had a modest growth rate structing the interstate system. The completion during the first half of the 20th century. The of Interstate 71 in the early 1970s resulted in population of Pleasant Township increased increased residential development in the town- Figure 3 dramatically with suburbanization and the Historic sites located ship. Although residential development has now throughout Pleasant development of Interstate 71. In 1957 the Ohio Township slowed, there is still growth pressure from the northeast and along Interstate 71. Historic and Cultural Features JOHN GALBREATH MOUND B i g g D D The Big Darby watershed makes up a signifi- a rb y C r e e cant portion of Pleasant Township and has many k Li historic and cultural resources. Artifacts dis- t t le Darby C r e TOM CANNON e e k k MOUND covered in the Big Darby watershed show that sophisticated ancient cultures once lived along GEORGESVILLE the creeks. There are a number of Adena Indian SITES LAWRENCE BEAVER’S mounds along the creek banks and uplands FARM WITTMAN throughout the watershed. The Big Darby Plains B WALTER HOUSE i g Darb y C were also reported to have been the hunting r r e e e k WALTER grounds for both the Wyandot and Shawnee WILLING PROPERTY Indians. Pleasant Township is home to two sites on 665 the National Register of Historic Places, Tom Cannon Mound and John Galbreath Mound. The H e l l l l b b Tom Cannon Mound begins on the southern tip r r 3 a a n n c c h h R R 62 of a bluff where the Little Darby and Big Darby u u n creeks meet. The mound is currently 3.4 feet 71 high and 45 feet in diameter. Originally, the MILLER FARM mound was likely to have been 6 to 7 feet tall and 40 feet in diameter. The pre-historic Adena Indian group erected the mound as a mortuary monument between 500 B.C. to A.D. 400. CURRENT CONDITIONS 33 Big Darby watershed B i g g D D a rb Big Darby watershed y C r e e k Li t t le Darby C r e e e k k B i g Darb y C r r e e e k 665 H e l l l l b b r r 3 a a n n c c h h R R 62 u u n 71 Figure 4 The majority of Pleasant Township is located within the Big Darby watershed The Ohio Historic Register recognizes sev- Place.” The Big and Little Darby creeks were eral historic homes and farmsteads in Pleasant designated National Scenic Rivers in 1984. Township. Examples of Victorian Italianate The Big Darby watershed is 580 square miles architecture include the Walter Willing House and covers portions of six counties in central and the Miller Farm. Georgesville has a number Ohio. Approximately 86.3 percent of Pleasant of historic buildings, including the Georgesville Township is within the Big Darby watershed. Weigh Station, built in 1870. The structure still The Big Darby Creek runs through Pleasant stands, now serving as a residence. Township for approximately 14 miles. The Little Darby Creek runs through the northwest Environmental Natural Resources portion of the township for about 3.5 miles, from the Madison County line to where the Little Darby Creek enters Big Darby Creek at Big Darby Watershed Georgesville. In 1991 the Nature Conservancy designated The Big Darby watershed is the healthiest and the Big Darby watershed as a “Last Great most diverse aquatic system of its size in the 34 CURRENT CONDITIONS | PLEASANT TOWNSHIP COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Midwest. It is one of the top five warm freshwa- In addition to its aquatic diversity, the Big ter habitats in the nation and has 108 species of Darby watershed has a diverse landscape of fish and 38 species of mollusks. The ecosystem terrestrial flora and fauna. The watershed includes three federally-listed endangered spe- landscape includes remnant prairies and savan- cies, four state-listed endangered fish and five nas, once part of a Tallgrass Prairie ecosystem. state-listed endangered mollusk species. The Unfortunately, the clearing of mature forests federally-listed species are the Scioto Madtom, and installation of artificial drainage helped to Northern Riffle Shell and the Northern Club eliminate many of these terrestrial plant and Shell. The state-listed fish species include the animal species. Prairie ecosystem plant species, Lake Chubsucker, Northern Brook Lamprey, such as Burr Oaks and Post Oaks, are becom- Spotted Darter and Northern Madtom. The ing scarce and fragmented in the Big Darby state-listed mollusk species are the Elephant watershed. Although a few stands survive from Ear, Ridged Pocketbook, Washboard, Cob Shell pre-settlement times, their numbers are decreas- and the Bean Shell. ing and regeneration is minimal. Age Distribution in Pleasant Township Unemployment Rate 2000 Population 16 Years or Older, 2000 4.0 Total Population: 7,030 people 3.5 Median Age: 39.4 years 3.0 65+ 2.5 15 or younger Percentage of Population 2.0 1.5 45-64 16-24 1.0 0.5 25-44 0.0 Pleasant Franklin Ohio United States Township County U.S. Census Bureau Fig. 5 U.S. Census Bureau Fig. 6 Median Household Income Walk to Work 1999 2000 800 700 3.0 600 2.5 Number of People 500 2.0 400 1.5 300 Percentage of People 200 1.0 100 0.5 0 0.0 Pleasant Franklin Ohio United Township County States Less than 10,00010,000 to 14,99915,000 to 24,99925,000 to 34,99935,000 to 49,99950,000 to 74,99975,000 to 99,999 200,000 or more $100,000 to 149,999150,000 to 199,999Income ($) U.S. Census Bureau Fig. 7 U.S. Census Bureau Fig. 8 CURRENT CONDITIONS 35 Franklin County The Big Darby Creek is widely recognized for its natural beauty The exceptional water quality of the Big Darby Franklin County Population Forecast Creek is threatened by changes in the landscape. 1990-2030 Historically, agriculture was the primary land use in the drainage basin, with approximately 80 1,500,000 percent of the land area in fields of row-crops. People As central Ohio became one of the fastest- 1,350,000 growing regions in America, conversion of the 2030 watershed from agricultural to urban land uses threatened the health of this aquatic system. 1,200,000 Sediment, fertilizer and chemical pollution 2005 from agricultural fields, and stormwater runoff 1,050,000 2000 from urbanizing areas are the primary threats 1990 to water quality. Urban stormwater runoff and 900,000 underground drainage systems generate intense 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 Year surges of water that enter both the tributaries Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission Fig. 9 and main stems of the Big and Little Darby Creeks. These surges of water result in flooding, Pleasant Township Population Forecast Housing Occupancy 1990-2030 2000 12,000 Owner-Occupied Renter-Occupied Vacant People 2030 10,000 Franklin County 8,000 Pleasant Township 2005 2000 0 20 40 60 80 100 1990 6,000 Percentage 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 Year Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission Fig. 10 U.S. Census Bureau Fig. 11 36 CURRENT CONDITIONS | PLEASANT TOWNSHIP COMPREHENSIVE PLAN destabilization of the stream banks, and the dis- areas for open space, parks and preservation ruption of streambed and riparian habitats.