A proposed indoor baseball training facility near Rocky Fork Park scored 91.7% on the Rocky Fork-Blacklick Accord's compliance standards, according to a staff report prepared for the panel's Thursday, Oct. 15 meeting.

The nine-member advisory panel will review the baseball facility rezoning, a separate soccer field rezoning and a conceptual plan for 1,344 apartment units on Walnut Street when it meets at 4 p.m. at New Albany Village Hall, 99 West Main St.

Baseball facility scores high marks

Plan 4 Land LLC, represented by Joe Clase and Lexus Cain, is seeking to rezone 5.165 acres at 7276 Walnut St. from Rural to Exceptional Use for a 49,200-square-foot indoor baseball training facility and outdoor field. Property owners are Derrick A. and Lorraina M. Neff.

Ben Collins, Plain Township zoning officer, evaluated the proposal Oct. 4 and scored it 91.7% compliant with Accord development standards, meeting 36 of 42 applicable criteria outright with five partial scores and one miss.

The staff report said the facility would fill a recreational gap in the area, given local interest in baseball and softball. It also noted the facility could support the New Albany Plain Local Schools baseball program, which won its third state championship—and its first in Division II—in June 2026, according to cleveland.com. The Eagles finished that season 26-7.

The site sits in the Accord's Park Zone District between the New Albany Field House, which is under construction, and Rocky Fork Park. The proposal includes 88 parking spaces, a 250-foot front setback from Walnut Street and a retention basin. Lot coverage at full buildout would be 56.1%, under the 70% maximum.

Soccer field and 1,344-unit apartment review

In a separate case, applicant Jacob Osborn is seeking to rezone 13.792 acres at 0 Morse Rd. in Plain Township from Rural to Exceptional Use for a soccer field facility and parking. The property owner is Blockchain Properties VII LLC. In a written submission included in the meeting packet, Osborn stated he has been working on the project for nearly a year.

The panel will also conduct a conceptual review of a City of Columbus application to build 1,344 multiunit residential units on an 84.2-acre Walnut Street site across four phases. David Ruma of WUMA Predevelopment LLC, represented by Dave Perry of David Perry Company Inc., submitted the application. The property owner is Walnut Street LLC.

No vote is expected on the residential proposal. The review is conceptual only.

A Babbitt Road Strategic Plan Addendum is also listed under other business. Details on that item were not included in the publicly available portion of the meeting packet.

What it means for residents

The Rocky Fork-Blacklick Accord Implementation Panel is advisory.

Its recommendations on the two Plain Township rezonings will go to the Plain Township Zoning Commission, which makes the final decision. The Oct. 15 meeting will be streamed on the city website for viewing only. Residents who want to comment must attend in person.