Residents are speaking out against a proposal to build 77 triplexes in an east Columbia neighborhood adjacent to dozens of newly-built, single-family homes.
The plan is to add 77 triplexes adjacent to The Brooks neighborhood along Route WW, about a mile east of U.S. 63.
The proposal comes at a time when city leaders say they’re looking for ways to add affordable housing options to the community.
But residents say the proposed construction of triplexes isn’t a good fit for their area and would create parking and traffic problems on surrounding streets. A triplex is a property with three housing units in one building.
Residents such as Dianne Buffington say they’re frustrated that the city appears to be moving forward with the project despite their concerns.
“I just don’t think we feel seen, heard or understood,” Buffington said. “We’ve talked to the city. We’ve talked to city parks. We’ve done all of that. We don’t make a difference.”
The city in 2013 adopted a Comprehensive Plan that promotes affordable housing and creating new, livable and sustainable communities. Also, a housing study conducted by the city and Boone County last year illustrated the need for a variety of housing types.
The proposed triplex development, known as Ashford Place, “provides different housing typologies that result in greater housing variety in neighborhoods, and serve needs of different community members, potentially at different income levels,” said David Kunz, a city planner.
Planning and Zoning approval
The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved the Ashford Place development at its meeting Sept. 4. The next step would be for the Columbia City Council to vote on the proposal.
Troy Miller Properties LLC is leading the project.
The triplexes would be built on undeveloped land just north of Route WW. Access would be from Sagemoor Drive and Bethpage Road, with a future connection planned to El Chaparral Avenue.
Resident Jen Bryan understands expansion needs to happen, but is confused why it has to continue this way. She noted that, although the development is about 24 acres, the current version of the plan calls for more than half of that land to remain green space, leaving only about 11 acres for the housing.
“Our issue is not with development itself, rather, the density proposed in the current Ashford Place plan,” she said in an email. “This is about 77 units on (about) 11 acres, or more than 7 units per acre, located directly behind The Brooks with minimal buffering.”
Terry Haupt, another resident of The Brooks, feels that the homes being built there are not compatible with the existing neighborhood.
“We had hoped it would be developed in more of a blending way adjacent to our single-family homes,” Haupt said.
Residents like Sara Grimes feel like they aren’t welcome anymore in their own neighborhood.
“When we moved here, it was our intent to stay here. And I feel like they’re really trying to drive us out,” Grimes said.
Another issue is not having enough parking spaces. This was one of the most discussed topics at the recent Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.
“Residents of our neighborhood do not feel two spaces per unit is sufficient. The plan only provides one garage and one driveway space, with the rest depending on limited street parking that will be further constrained by curves in the road design. Any overflow has one place to go — The Brooks,” Bryan said.
At the Sept. 4 meeting, the lawyers and engineers who work for Troy Miller confirmed 68 available street parking spaces to give residents more room.
Residents are concerned that roads such as Hoy Lake Drive and Sagemoor Drive will become more dangerous.
“(Troy Miller) needs to provide entrance to Ashford Place by connecting to El Chaparral, which has been discussed, or building it across his property that he owns over to Ashford,” Haupt said at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.
Resident Tracy Della Vecchia said she is nervous about the roads and believes they need a change, no matter what happens.
“During my morning walks, I have had several close calls with speeding traffic,” Vecchia said. “We need a solution to this before development can be approved and the problem that we all know will happen, and indeed it’s the responsibility of the commission to do everything in its power to keep unsafe streets safe.”
At the meeting, 27 residents took time to voice their concerns.
“We are not anti-growth,” Gail Hauswirth said. “We are simply asking Planning and Zoning to balance new development with protection for existing residents.”
