The Columbia City Council on Monday approved annexation and MC (Mixed-Use Corridor) zoning for a 0.89-acre parcel at the northwest corner of Clark Lane and North Lakewood Drive, reversing the Planning and Zoning Commission's recommendation and going against staff advice that MN (Mixed-Use Neighborhood) zoning would provide a better transition to nearby residential areas.

Development Services Manager Pat Zinner presented the staff analysis and told council the property had been rezoned with a plan in Boone County in 2004 and that plan later expired. He said the parcel is adjacent to the Lakewood Shopping Center and that the county had previously authorized a 500-square-foot coffee-shack drive-through as a conditional use under the older approvals. Zinner cautioned that MC zoning is a "straight zoning district" that allows a broader range of auto-oriented uses by right (including drive-throughs and gas stations) and provides less ability for the city to place conditions than a conditional-use process under MN zoning.

Applicant representatives argued MC was appropriate at the intersection. Caleb Colbert, attorney for the applicant, said MC is intended for high-visibility, automotive-oriented sites and pointed out auto-centric uses already surround the roundabout. Real estate agent John Dunn and a development representative emphasized the parcel has limited developable area because the roundabout and easements consume much of the site and said the parcel had sat vacant under the county plan for years.

Zinner and staff told council a CUP (conditional-use permit) under MN would provide added review and allow placement conditions, buffering and traffic study requirements. Staff confirmed the city's drive-through use-specific standards allow the traffic engineer to require a traffic study even if trip thresholds are not met.

Council vote and rationale

After discussion about buffering (staff noted a Level 3 buffer would apply, including a 10-foot buffer and an eight-foot screening device adjacent to county RM residential), council voted 4-2 to annex and zone the site MC. Councilmembers supporting the annexation said the site is surrounded by existing auto-centric commercial uses, that MC is appropriate at the roundabout and that annexation brings the property under city controls and services; opponents pointed to the Planning and Zoning Commission's recommendation for denial and urged the MN transition district to ensure review of auto-centric uses.

Why this matters: The zoning choice will determine which uses are permitted by right and which require conditional review. MC zoning allows a wider set of commercial, automotive and auto-oriented uses without the more detailed public-review steps that accompany conditional uses under MN.

Key facts

- Property: 0.89 acres at NW corner of Clark Lane and North Lakewood Drive, adjacent to Lakewood Shopping Center.
- Staff/Planning: Staff recommended MN; Planning and Zoning Commission recommended denial of MC (5-3). Applicant requested annexation with MC zoning.
- Vote: Council approved annexation and MC zoning by a vote of 4 to 2 (Buffalo yes; Carroll no; Elwood no; Sample yes; Foster yes; Peters yes). (Transcript records voting sequence: motion passed 4-2.)
- Utilities and services: Water would be provided under city service; electric remained with Boone County Electric; a 1992 sewer connection agreement governs sewer access and recurring rates for the site if it stays in county; staff said the agreement does not require annexation.

Next steps

With annexation and MC zoning approved, the owner will still need to meet city site-development requirements and any use-specific standards; cross-access easements will be required for practical access between the shopping center and the vacant parcel. If the owner proposes a drive-through, staff said the city's drive-through standards could trigger a traffic study and additional mitigating requirements.