A request to downzone 47 properties in the West Ash and West Central Columbia neighborhoods was approved by the Columbia City Council at its Monday night meeting.
The downzoning was on the consent agenda, which means it was approved without council or public discussion. But during the general comment period at the end of the meeting, Fourth Ward Councilman Ian Thomas said he was “very happy to support” the downzoning and that it was a “good way to preserve neighborhood character.”
The request, submitted by the area’s homeowners, asked that most of the 47 properties be rezoned from R-2 or R-MF, which allow for duplexes and multiple-family homes, to R-1, which restricts development to one-family homes. One homeowner requested a downzoning from R-MF to R-2.
The Planning and Zoning Committee unanimously approved the request at its Sept. 6 meeting after multiple homeowners spoke in support.
Substance abuse program
Early in the meeting, Cheryl Howard and Judy Hubbard, representatives from the Nora Stewart Early Learning Center in Columbia, spoke to the council about offering the federally recommended Creating Lasting Family Connections Program at the center.
To view the entire story, visit columbiamissourian.com