Council defers Holloway Road annexation after neighbors raise traffic and school-capacity concerns

Columbia City Council voted to defer both the public hearing and first reading on a proposed annexation and rezoning for property in the Holloway Road area after multiple residents and council members raised concerns about traffic, school capacity and pedestrian safety.

The proposal would annex property, assign urban-edge residential small-lot land use and rezone to a Residential Single Family Small Lot District (RSF-3). Residents said the development could add hundreds of homes to an already strained area and expressed particular concern for nearby Burnside Elementary School. Cora Lee Swink, speaking for the Capital View Area Neighbors Association, told council, “We just can’t handle all of this at what this time.” Cindy Clough, a long-time Holloway Road resident, said the change would allow “12 houses on what amounts to 3 houses on this lot” and “completely change the neighborhood.”

City staff and the project engineer said access to the proposed lots would be from Patterson Road (not Holloway Road) and that sidewalks are a required element of subdivision plans. Jeremy Leitner, a civil engineer on the project, said traffic impact studies were performed and meetings had taken place with city staff and the developer planned additional public outreach prior to the next planning commission meeting. Councilmember Brown moved to defer and asked staff to share the traffic study and related materials with council; the motion to defer both the public hearing and first reading passed on a roll call.

Ending: Council directed staff to provide the existing traffic-impact study and related materials and said the item will return after additional outreach and notice requirements are met.