The Columbia City Council again rejected a proposal to build a new CVS pharmacy at the corner of Providence and Broadway.
Last night The Columbia City Council voted down the proposed sewer easement agreement for the CVS Pharmacy.
Had the easement been approved, it would have allowed CVS to begin the process of obtaining a building permit.
Mayor Bob McDavid was fully supportive of the project and says this whole ordinal has highlighted the council’s ability to interpret C-2 zoning laws differently.
He says these laws are not meant to be vague but rather should be clear of discrepancies.
“One of the things that we should be doing as a city is we should be predictable and we should be consistent we should lay out a set of rules that are very clear, so that if you are building a house you can go to the builder or architect and know it’s going to get done,” McDavid said.
Mayor McDavid said this long convoluted back and forth between the city and CVS has been tedious and embarrassing for the community.
CVS’s proposal has been denied two times prior to last night’s meeting. Once in October of 2013 and again in April of 2015.
The council voted four to three against the release of the sewer easement.
Council members who voted in favor of the sewer easement agreement were: Mayor Bob McDavid, Second Ward Councilman Michael Trapp and Fifth Ward Councilwoman Laura Nauser.
Those who voted against the sewer easement agreement were: First Ward Councilman Clyde Ruffin, Third Ward Councilman Karl Skala, Fourth Ward Councilman Ian Thomas and Sixth Ward Councilwoman Betsey Peters.