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Planning panel approves rezoning of part of Columbia Mall after owner warns against self-storage conversion
Summary
The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a rezoning at 2800 South Columbia Road to allow broader B-3 business uses, despite a representative for Columbia Mall owners warning that permitting indoor self-storage could harm retail tenancy and violate a reciprocal easement agreement.
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted to approve an amendment to the zoning map that rezones part of Columbia Mall at 2800 South Columbia Road from B-2 (shopping center uses) to B-3 (general business uses). Chair (voice 5) called the public hearing and, after receiving one written statement read into the record, the commission approved the item.
Philip Heilman, who said he represents GK Real Estate and identified his address for the record, read a letter from the mall owner urging the commission to reject any zoning change that would allow nonretail uses at the property. "An indoor self storage use is not allowed under the reciprocal easement agreement and changes to the building . . . would have a huge negative impact on the retailers that currently use the mall," Heilman said, adding that past examples where storage backfilled former department stores "has sent those malls into a death spiral." He said prospective purchasers had approached ownership about converting the former Macy's building to indoor self storage and that owners prefer uniform zoning across the entire mall if a change is made.
Staff member Brooks described the rezoning request as a change from B-2 to B-3 for a portion of the mall and said the applicant had not yet provided building designs, noting that roughly 50 notices were mailed within an 800-foot radius. Brooks also contextualized the site, estimating the mall's size as about "650,000 square feet roughly" and noting several anchor vacancies.
Commissioners asked Heilman clarifying questions about ownership preferences and whether the owners sought rezoning for the entire mall; Heilman said ownership instructed him to deliver the letter and that he does not handle leasing decisions. No other members of the public addressed the commission on the rezoning.
The commission took a motion to approve the rezoning after staff and public comment and the chair called the question; the motion passed as recorded in the meeting transcript. The change permits a broader set of general business uses on the affected parcel; the transcript does not record any immediate conditions or specific design approvals attached to the rezoning.
Next steps: the rezoning was approved at the meeting; the transcript does not specify additional procedural steps, such as appeals or administrative conditions, beyond the approval itself.
