Columbia planning commission reviews Ordinance 957 changes to building height, shadows and commercial-use rules

Columbia Borough Planning Commission members reviewed proposed changes in Ordinance 957 during their May 21 workshop, focusing on building-height setbacks, a new shadow-protection rule, and updates that would codify rules for marijuana dispensaries, tattoo businesses and package distribution centers.

The ordinance, which council recently forwarded to the planning commission and to Lancaster County Planning for review, is expected to return to Borough Council for a vote in July or possibly August, commission members were told. Planning staff said the draft reflects decisions reached at a March 20 joint meeting with council and other stakeholders.

Commission chairperson Wickenheiser described revisions to Section 3 that adjust setbacks as building height increases. Planning staff noted the ordinance replaces an existing provision that would have allowed a 90-foot building within 30 feet of a residential property by tying the required setback to the structure’s height. The draft also removes an airport-related paragraph and adds a new limitation intended to prevent a building from casting a shadow on the south-facing first-floor wall of any dwelling between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the winter solstice (Dec. 21).

The draft makes additional dimensional-table changes, including revisions to minimum lot area and maximum lot coverage. Planning staff said items shown in bold in the draft reflect changes agreed at the March 20 joint meeting.

Members discussed how the ordinance treats commercial uses. Secretary Bilin and Vice Chair T Lin confirmed the draft “codifies” prior work on marijuana dispensaries and tattoo establishments that had not been included in earlier ordinance language. Mary asked whether dispensaries were permitted in highway commercial or only in industrial zones; staff said the ordinance lists the use in light industrial (LIGA) and that the draft had added it to light business in some earlier discussions. Commissioners noted state-level control if marijuana becomes fully recreational, but the solicitor present advised keeping THC and CBD language in local definitions to assist local regulation.

The commission reviewed the proposed definition for a package delivery/distribution center: a facility with a 50,000-square-foot maximum that specializes in transporting packages weighing less than 150 pounds from one location to another. Brad said he expanded on the definition by email, and members said the cap was intended to avoid large warehouses with high truck traffic in sensitive areas.

Members also confirmed that smoke shops remain limited to highway commercial districts under the draft and that the airport-approach provision was removed from the code section in question.

Commissioners did not take a formal vote on Ordinance 957 at the workshop, but chairperson Wickenheiser asked whether members in attendance were comfortable moving the draft forward; several members replied “yes.” Staff said the item will appear on the planning commission meeting agenda with a recommended approval line item for the commission to act on at that meeting.

Separately during the workshop, the planning commission approved minutes from its April 15 meeting (motion by Secretary Bilin; second by Vice Chair T Lin), and later adjourned on a motion from Vice Chair T Lin and second from Justin. No additional formal votes on Ordinance 957 were recorded at the workshop.

What’s next: staff will include Ordinance 957 on the planning commission meeting agenda for a recommendation to council. Council retains final authority to accept, modify or reject county planning comments before passage.