[{"_1":2,"_122":-5,"_123":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,98,110],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6562925,"mediaKeyId","3238391-82db9875987c55b1212bd0bb84f0e43a","parentId",3238391,"title","Votes at a glance: May Planning Commission — rezoning, downtown plan, pickup-window amendment, site plan and consent items","audioSeconds",5177,"startMs",756000,"endMs",5933000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3238391-82db9875987c55b1212bd0bb84f0e43a&start=756&end=5933","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3238391-82db9875987c55b1212bd0bb84f0e43a/thumbnail_756000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6562925/Columbia-City/Richland-County/South-Carolina/Votes-at-a-glance-May-Planning-Commission-rezoning-downtown-plan-pickup-window-amendment-site-plan-and-consent-items","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562925-3437ff26b11ff06a4c538c603cdfb6ad/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151037&Signature=ftZekbbEJI6eH1bO~tISAAbdp4htr-dDgV858Ttp7I0U4xNjRBi1S7XlkwUmD-oR9ZOpuZamawjP14k~l6bfFD7K15nE97XvNGYDllFb5V9ZgoqpsoHad4GVhqPlk6vRUrBQvRoYU6A0qcDxI5reUOS5umk88sMPAzqVdXbZ~d1e0dzK3cXjNVV0b09DxRKjJfbQScGZ-yIXFT1ZYCbPRseDzunuDFM~rq0q1SHT4gAgIgkdA~Lu4UOa-PplSchRdP8r0PJhDTBQlcG0EV7U7jbZakpnYFe2NQgCJtrKkN5xhyKO1-OXB6aayOQvacryDb0-YzIPsunYLagy3HlGoA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Columbia","date","2025-05-09T09:42:34Z","article","The City of Columbia Planning Commission took the following formal actions during its May meeting. This roundup lists each item, the motion outcome and key details from the record.

• Consent agenda — Approved. The commission approved the April 10, 2025 minutes and the consent agenda, which included: preliminary plat approval (PLAT-2024-0076) for Bridal Vista Towns (a 214‑lot attached single-family subdivision in an RM-2 district, with a traffic impact study in the packet) and a zoning-text amendment request to recommend designation of 900 Calhoun Street (St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church) as a City of Columbia landmark under the UDO (Chapter 17, Appendix C, Type 3 landmarks). Motion passed by voice vote.

• Rezoning — 5003 Red Street (also referred to in testimony as Rhett Street): Recommendation to rezone from Neighborhood Activity Center (NAC) to Community Activity Center (CAC). The commission briefly deferred the item to allow the applicant to provide petition materials and then revisited it later in the meeting; the commission voted to recommend approval. Key details: applicant Ronita Caesar said she collected about 400 petition signatures and letters of support; staff had cited master-plan inconsistencies in its packet but explained CAC allows certain automotive uses not permitted in NAC. The commission’s recommendation will move to City Council if the applicant pursues final rezoning.

• TA2025009 — Pickup-window text amendment: Approved. The commission approved a UDO text amendment to add separate classifications for a vehicle pickup window and a pedestrian pickup window, prohibiting speaker systems and menu boards for pickup windows and distinguishing them from drive-through uses; staff noted drive-throughs that use speakers remain regulated under existing provisions and may require site-plan or conditional-use review.

• Downtown Columbia strategic plan and design overlay: Approved (recommendation to Council). The commission voted to recommend adoption of the Downtown Columbia strategic plan as an addendum to the comprehensive plan and to approve the Downtown Columbia design overlay and accompanying design guidelines. Staff said the process reached more than 1,100 participants; the plan presents six priority ideas and the guidelines replace the previous City Center and Innovista overlays. The commission also approved proposed DDRC threshold changes (examples: 50 feet of street frontage; 26 residential units; building 50 feet or taller; 25,000 gross square feet) and spacing guidance for auto-related uses (staff cited a 1,000-foot separation example for some vehicle-sales/service categories).

• SPlan-2025-0007 — Devine/Heights multifamily site plan (2300–2318 Devine Street; 620 Heights Street): Approved, conditional on staff sign-off. The commission granted major site-plan approval for a four-story, 55-unit development on 1.3 acres, with 76 surface parking spaces, subject to resolution of all outstanding staff comments. Several neighborhood speakers — including the Shandon Neighborhood Council zoning chair — asked for a deferral citing lack of posted notice and requested opportunity for neighborhood review; staff said major site plans are not required to be posted and that SRS Engineering prepared a traffic study concluding minimal impacts.

These decisions were recorded in the meeting minutes. Several items that were recommended by the commission (notably the Downtown plan adoption and the rezoning recommendation) will proceed to City Council for final action as part of the city’s legislative process, where applicable.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Planning Commission | May 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A summary of formal actions from the May City of Columbia Planning Commission meeting: consent approvals, a rezoning recommendation for 5003 Red Street, a UDO pickup-window amendment, adoption recommendation for the Downtown Columbia strategic plan and the Downtown design overlay, and conditional approval of a 55‑unit Devine Street site plan.","taxTitle","Columbia City, Richland County, South Carolina","taxId",3706,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6562942,"Planning commission recommends rezoning of 5003 Red Street after applicant presents petition and neighborhood support",1737,1309000,3046000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3238391-82db9875987c55b1212bd0bb84f0e43a&start=1309&end=3046","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3238391-82db9875987c55b1212bd0bb84f0e43a/thumbnail_1309000.jpg","/articles/6562942/Columbia-City/Richland-County/South-Carolina/Planning-commission-recommends-rezoning-of-5003-Red-Street-after-applicant-presents-petition-and-neighborhood-support","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562942-19224714878dee9407d6ea5689b382a8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151037&Signature=NnrmXzjFo8cawXDllha6b8JwiGUmdgOeUd2hcp1XxDm2utFgCpQv-gYv6wnzPogFrKYng5j3kmBNyQE-wGL2n9~pqMWUzbobrTTzA6W5hNPKgrN3IcoKacznsn-Kv2HjkVFHh4b~gbyQ2HALGU3j96t9sB13gWRaDSLdrG6m90nN1yrVzunaEsVfaTBh4iFu5QxSpzgmwnNwWKtQPSMll6VoTuF6lqv6iySImv64ItFt23WndYOz9SkxN71A~1H5QvsdX83-lEba0U9sR7THuNYA63JVMHCGc7qwYrOBRdxT9AztJIgn1nQg1k03NPCUsETA5f4URBvdvYmevTa4Rg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Columbia Planning Commission on May considered a request to change the zoning of 5003 Red Street (referred to in testimony by the applicant as “Rhett Street”) from Neighborhood Activity Center (NAC) to Community Activity Center (CAC). The commission ultimately voted to recommend approval after hearing testimony from the property owner and neighborhood supporters.

The applicant, Ronita Caesar, said she purchased the property from the city after city staff advised the site could accommodate her planned rim-and-tire retail business. “I just want to provide great customer service, safe customer service, and I want to provide the service that I was initially told that I could do at that particular location,” Caesar told the commission, adding she had collected about 400 petition signatures and letters of support from nearby businesses and community groups.

Planning staff told the commission the parcel is currently zoned NAC and that staff initially recommended denial because the proposal is not consistent with the North Columbia village master-plan recommendations for that specific frontage. Staff also explained that NAC and CAC overlap for many uses but that CAC permits additional automotive-related uses, including “personal vehicle repair and maintenance,” which is the UDO use category that covers installation of wheels and tires. Staff noted the Board of Zoning Appeals handles some special exceptions but that this specific use classification is not allowed as a special exception in NAC.

Commissioners asked whether the applicant had been offered a special-use permit and whether supporting materials — including the petitions she referenced — were on file. Caesar said she would produce the petitions; staff confirmed the petition itself was not in the staff packet but that the transaction documents and a shed permit were on file. A short motion to defer consideration temporarily was passed to allow the applicant time to submit additional documentation, but later in the meeting the commission revisited the item and voted to recommend approval of the zoning change to CAC.

The commission’s recommendation does not by itself rezone the property; staff reminded the room that any applicant wishing to proceed after the planning commission recommendation would still have to take the request to City Council as the next step in the process. The applicant said she sought either a zoning reclassification or a special-use permit specifically to allow on-site installation of rims and tires and that she is not seeking to perform broader vehicle repairs, painting or oil changes.

Clarifying details offered during the hearing included the applicant’s assertion that city staff had previously advised her the site would be appropriate for an automotive product sales and installation use; that she purchased inventory from a shuttered shop and had an intended opening in February; and that adjacent businesses had signed supporting petitions. Staff also explained that NAC permits some retail and smaller-scale uses while CAC allows larger retail, additional automotive uses and taller buildings (up to 75 feet), and that some differences between the districts are intended to reflect the broader market area CAC serves.

Next steps: the applicant may submit the petition and supporting letters into the public record; the commission’s favorable recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for final consideration if the applicant elects to pursue rezoning there.","The City of Columbia Planning Commission on May considered a request to change the zoning of 5003 Red Street from Neighborhood Activity Center to Community Activity Center and voted to recommend approval after the property owner presented petitions and letters of neighborhood support.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":46,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6562929,"Commission approves 55‑unit Devine Street apartment project despite neighborhood concerns about notice and traffic",1592,4341000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3238391-82db9875987c55b1212bd0bb84f0e43a&start=4341&end=5933","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3238391-82db9875987c55b1212bd0bb84f0e43a/thumbnail_4341000.jpg","/articles/6562929/Columbia-City/Richland-County/South-Carolina/Commission-approves-55unit-Devine-Street-apartment-project-despite-neighborhood-concerns-about-notice-and-traffic","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562929-f9c44e7f22c4efcea937c7101c1687de/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151037&Signature=YObySPnter1ITGZIGnrGP0NaHM80KzgbjNK8XwbM7sOUuaePmVNHJBRgWIV5~CGcGm7qvBwyJOYtnjTLRqDBaiLEEvLl0Th8uc1MLkiUhq6XQ77jNv8ffj~ndDEl5AWlshjwSKjS~MJbbglDjtmi9TUwTRD7brrN4q7yo6Q58k1Lbe9-w4fJQ3QTfUO8X5IibBErGB12GJCM03YsGl3NHW-0SFYzKR2NnsUuEGZzRYss7T-KMjVIb2bVQi4quQPL82K0EIrE8Rv4MEIkuOW9m5oMBe05brSRsQUhxvoNp6stY8mPYtnUbKl3U8gWBVbVHnJD2Wy5l-GK4m-20ckS-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Columbia Planning Commission granted major site-plan approval for a proposed four-story, 55-unit multifamily building on 1.3 acres at the southeast corner of Devine Street and Heights Street (addresses listed in the application as 2300–2318 Devine Street and 620 Heights Street), voting to approve the plan provided all staff comments are addressed.

The applicant, Theresa Hodge of Estates Properties, told the commission the firm has developed and manages several properties on Devine Street and that the proposed project matches the character of recent nearby development. “We have 6 properties on Devine Street that we've developed and we currently manage,” Hodge said. She said the project includes 76 surface parking spaces, which she described as roughly a 1.35 parking-per-unit ratio consistent with her existing portfolio.

Several neighborhood representatives urged the commission to defer the item to allow more community review. Judy Anderson, chair of the Shandon Neighborhood Council’s zoning and code-enforcement committee, said she first learned of the development from a neighbor and did not find the customary posted sign. “There are no signs posted,” Anderson said, adding that the neighborhood’s email list had been missing from circulation and that the council had not been contacted. She asked the commission to defer the application so the neighborhood could be fully informed and engaged.

David Launas, speaking as a resident and not in an official neighborhood capacity, described traffic concerns and said the packet contained only a brief traffic recommendation without the underlying documentation. “This development in particular is adding approximately 70 new parking spots, and they're all egressing out on Heights Street,” Launas said. He urged deferral so the neighborhood could review traffic impacts and mitigation.

The applicant and staff responded: planning staff said the application had been evaluated for required materials and that a traffic study by SRS Engineering (Mike Ridgeway) had been completed and found minimal traffic impacts. Hodge said the property is zoned for the proposed multifamily use and that developer outreach had included adjacent landowners and the Devine Street Association; she also offered to meet with Shandon neighborhood leaders.

Staff noted the applicant had received alternative-compliance approval for a transitional buffer yard due to site constraints and clarified that major site plans are not required to be posted with a public sign under current procedures, though staff said it recommends outreach to neighborhood groups. Commissioners weighed the value of neighborhood buy-in against the fact that the project met applicable zoning and site-plan standards. Several commissioners expressed sympathy for the neighborhood’s desire for more engagement; one commissioner recommended deferral, but the motion to approve conditional on staff comments carried.

The approval is conditional on the applicant addressing all outstanding staff comments before permit issuance; the applicant also said she will evaluate infrastructure (including potential EV charging capacity) and meet with neighborhood representatives. The commission’s decision applies to site-plan approval only; building design details and final construction permits remain subject to standard permitting reviews.","A 55‑unit, four‑story apartment building at Devine and Heights streets cleared major site-plan approval conditional on staff sign‑offs after neighbors urged deferral over lack of outreach and potential traffic impacts. Planning staff said a traffic study found minimal impact.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6562934,"Planning commission adopts Downtown Columbia strategic plan and approves Downtown Columbia design overlay and guidelines",1241,3043000,4284000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3238391-82db9875987c55b1212bd0bb84f0e43a&start=3043&end=4284","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3238391-82db9875987c55b1212bd0bb84f0e43a/thumbnail_3043000.jpg","/articles/6562934/Columbia-City/Richland-County/South-Carolina/Planning-commission-adopts-Downtown-Columbia-strategic-plan-and-approves-Downtown-Columbia-design-overlay-and-guidelines","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562934-162a97193f4a8c166be753d7b78d511e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151037&Signature=FrYUmd-Z3jDh5JAbsQq08S7Vsg2J--S24~odpBMLxCS6NQ7RUTptjx8jhTOng8EEJ8pJQK4QTlpYU1mQPa~q4FEJvcN5SsxlwoHkCbqGt9hdQgkcxbBN17GKJScp1Dlpgqm~wApcATEGE2x-0QgGgTbpsOaB60tL5HsMFRIvDSBbmqxizMOBtaKjhQmLgHxhuDHqasS7JUxEsUGf5gTNcI5ePa-bF2JdF3c0oyVZhIuLDAm4FDhZgym2P~yr~i~T3TkDQGisiyeN~3UQF90gJ8VgNj9-ir9HpNiFc6Yq1lOmIyJh4p7T2cE3mnaGCRrA0v7JdmXHErei-eQYb26KQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Columbia Planning Commission voted to adopt the Downtown Columbia strategic plan and to create a single Downtown Columbia design overlay with new design guidelines intended to guide future development and public improvements in the downtown study area.

Planning staff described the two-part action as the culmination of a planning process that began in early 2024. Staff said the consultant-led outreach reached more than 1,100 participants through stakeholder roundtables, mobile workshops, public open houses and an online survey. “We heard from over 1,100 folks about this plan,” planning staff told the commission.

The strategic plan lays out six “big ideas” that staff summarized for commissioners: create two trail loops through downtown to improve connectivity; refresh and expand downtown’s tree canopy and green spaces; make immediate intersection-safety improvements; reclaim excess roadway width to reallocate space for pedestrians and cyclists; establish dedicated stewardship for downtown public spaces; and adopt user- and business-friendly design guidelines to support long-term competitiveness.

As part of the design-overlay approval, the commission agreed to replace the former City Center and Innovista overlays with a single Downtown Columbia overlay. The accompanying design guidelines prioritize where buildings meet the public realm, establish flexible means of meeting intent-based standards, and lay out recommended pedestrian-zone widths, streetscape elements, and street-tree guidance. Staff also proposed and the commission approved new thresholds for Design and Development Review Commission (DDRC) review that are intended to be impact-based rather than strictly monetary: a project becomes a major DDRC application if it meets at least one of the listed thresholds (for example, 50 feet of street frontage, 26 or more residential units, a building 50 feet or taller, or 25,000 gross square feet of building area).

The commission also heard staff’s recommendation to discourage clustering of auto-oriented uses in the overlay through spacing requirements; staff cited a proposed 1,000-foot separation standard for certain vehicle-sales and service uses to limit continuous stretches of auto-related businesses downtown.

Commissioners praised the public outreach and the clarity of the guidelines and voted to recommend adoption of the strategic plan as an amendment to the comprehensive plan and to approve the design overlay and related UDO text changes. Staff noted the plan and guidelines are policy and design guidance that will inform future infrastructure, funding and regulatory decisions.

Next steps: the commission’s recommendations will be forwarded to City Council for adoption of the plan as an amendment to the comprehensive plan and for ordinance updates needed to implement the new overlay and UDO text changes.","The Planning Commission voted to adopt the Downtown Columbia strategic plan as an amendment to the comprehensive plan and approved a new Downtown Columbia overlay and accompanying design guidelines and related UDO amendments to guide development in the downtown study area.",{"_33":111,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":112,"_41":113,"_43":114,"_45":115,"_47":116,"_49":117,"_51":118,"_53":119,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":120,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":121,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6562938,"Planning commission approves UDO amendment to create distinct 'pickup window' category",361,2202000,2563000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3238391-82db9875987c55b1212bd0bb84f0e43a&start=2202&end=2563","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3238391-82db9875987c55b1212bd0bb84f0e43a/thumbnail_2202000.jpg","/articles/6562938/Columbia-City/Richland-County/South-Carolina/Planning-commission-approves-UDO-amendment-to-create-distinct-pickup-window-category","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562938-8ef84be6b9c31f24f673a96618545baf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151037&Signature=h8nZ6RYQQtRWj-spuKPwWfieh0KRbrdz26twJ3Ozttv8Y5jSF9zlLVxdlwMBIEQqeEemfxzqzXYQEhvTJWY1E-8UXxx9wEnoYDaYCsyjBptxoLURM9PwHtjqwUDXd1W7MPbnsNNgpOO~hnxJAlPHg3-4YPk7s6SaMDSNmKCyCgtVTOI3dJM0ZUt5Tw9N5dGA6jVpwuis307Z81FQj6rGfNHvdEKdDuqrWSaE74fojZB1tk8JnQqlWovvNK421NmJmiQYpDH9g3HDG34T8nagRhkPtwcyCBfSD4DUDmgEpdNLFq46UcB1lI~OieyQwoLxqH1jBXsHUwvUM0Z2cTuUcg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Columbia Planning Commission voted to approve a text amendment (TA2025009) to the Unified Development Ordinance that creates a new accessory-use category for pickup windows and distinguishes it from traditional drive-through facilities.

Planning staff explained the change responds to businesses that accept orders in advance — by phone or online — and then allow customers to collect goods at a window without the infrastructure, speakers, order kiosks or menu boards associated with drive-throughs. “These uses do not employ order kiosk with speakers or lighted menu boxes and do not facilitate the same level of vehicular idling as a drive through,” planning staff said when presenting the amendment.

Under the amendment, the UDO will include separate classifications for a vehicle pickup window and a pedestrian pickup window, with different conditions for each. Drive-through uses such as banks or pharmacies that rely on speaker systems will remain classified as drive-throughs and continue to be regulated under the existing drive-through standards.

Commissioners discussed whether drive-throughs required separate site-plan review and staff confirmed that drive-throughs typically must meet site-plan standards and in some districts are treated as conditional or special-exception uses, with spacing and buffering standards intended to limit impacts on nearby residences.

The commission’s approval means the new pickup-window classifications will be added to the UDO and will be permitted in the districts identified by the amendment, subject to the accessory-use conditions listed in the ordinance.","The commission approved a text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance to add a 'pickup window' accessory use, distinguishing it from a drive-through and prohibiting speakers and lighted menu boxes for pickup windows.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: May Planning Commission — rezoning, downtown plan, pickup-window amendment, site plan and consent items

Planning commission recommends rezoning of 5003 Red Street after applicant presents petition and neighborhood support

Commission approves 55‑unit Devine Street apartment project despite neighborhood concerns about notice and traffic

Planning commission adopts Downtown Columbia strategic plan and approves Downtown Columbia design overlay and guidelines

Planning commission approves UDO amendment to create distinct 'pickup window' category