Council adopts resolution to consider banning private student dormitories in core districts, sends amendment to planning commission

Columbia City Council on Feb. 18 adopted a resolution to begin amending the city’s Unified Development Ordinance to prohibit private dormitories in two central zoning districts: the Downtown Activity Center (DAC) and Mixed Commercial (MC).

City planning staff said the change would remove the permission to construct a private dormitory — defined in staff comments as the mechanism that permits more than three unrelated people to live in a single unit (group housing). Miss Hampton, the staff presenter, told council the amendment would be a text amendment to chapter 17 of the 1998 Code of Ordinances and would proceed first to the planning commission on March 13, then to city council for public hearings and two readings, with a city council hearing scheduled for April 15.

Miss Hampton summarized the scope: “The effect of this amendment would be to remove the permission to construct a private dormitory. Not a public dormitory, but a private dormitory in 2 of our central business districts.” She clarified that public dormitories and other forms of housing for students would remain permitted; the targeted change addresses private dormitory/group‑housing uses that allow more than three unrelated residents.

After brief discussion about defining thresholds (beds, bedrooms, acreage) and outreach to colleges and stakeholders, the council voted unanimously to adopt the resolution to begin the text‑amendment process. The council’s vote invoked the pending ordinance doctrine and referred the ordinance amendments to the planning commission for review and recommendation.