Columbia council approves annexations, zoning changes and event permits; refers robot-delivery review to committee

The City of Columbia City Council on March 18 approved multiple annexations and zoning map changes, advanced a text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance affecting height limits in the Innovista district, approved alcohol permits for a series of downtown events, confirmed several advisory-board nominees and referred a study of autonomous delivery robots to the Health, Social and Environmental Committee.

The actions: Council approved annexation, future land-use and zoning map amendments for 1015 Hamrick Street (proposed land use: Urban Core Mixed Residential Type 3; proposed zoning: Residential Two-Family Mill Village District), 2309 Leesburg Road and 2313 Leesburg Road (both proposed land use: Urban Edge Residential Large Lot; proposed zoning: Residential Single-Family Large Lot). The council also approved a text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance to remove a broad height limitation in the Innovista District while retaining the existing 300-foot restriction near the western boundary of the West Survey Protection Area and preserving limitations adjacent to residentially zoned areas including Granby.

Planning staff Krista Hampton told council the change "will remain in this specific area too" and noted that "the limitation of height adjacent to any area zoned residential will remain." The amendment was sponsored by the mayor…