Columbia Planning Commission meets August 6, 2007
By John Temple Ligon Temple@TheColumbiaStar.com

Bill Boyd

The regular session of the Columbia Planning Commission began around 5:15 pm on the third floor of City Hall. All commissioners were present: Susie Heyward (chair), Ron Anderson, Tiaa Rutherford, James Hildebrand, Isabelle Mandell, Nancy Reid, Jenny Screen, Jonathan Vipperman, and Billy Way.

2317 Harrison Road

Patrick Dye asked the commission to rezone his property from RG- 1 (general residential) to PUD- C (commercial planned unit development). As a residence, Dye offered, use of the property was limited, and it was surrounded with industrial and commercial uses. His request was following the flow of the surrounding properties and raising the value and the tax take. Reid opposed, but the commission went along with the request.

823 Ger vais St reet , 816 through 820 and 824 Lady

Dale St igamier of Miller- Valentine Group, developers, asked to rezone his firm's property from M- 1, - DP, - DD (light industrial, design preservation, design/development) to PUD- C, - DP, - DD (planned unit development- commercial, - design preservation, design/development). Where 295 parking spaces were originally required, a 50 percent reduction was granted by the Design/Development Review Commission, and then only 148 parking spaces were required.

Warner Wells

Miller- Valentine asked the commission for another reduction to 97 parking spaces to accommodate the first phase of the project (Parcels I & II), 89,498 sq. ft. Parcel III is left open and paved at the back half of the lot facing Lady Street. Total lot area is 1.35 acres, and the Parcel III lot is .59 acre.

Parcels I & II include the existing Columbia Supply building, which becomes a restaurant, and the adjacent new five- story building with the ground floor dedicated to retail. The upper four stories are commercial office space.

Miller- Valentine asked to allow for 50 parking spaces on its back lot facing Lady Street, and they have found another 47 parking spaces within two blocks of the property, which altogether combines for 97 parking spaces.

Upon development of Parcel III, the back lot facing Lady Street, Miller- Valentine will have to replace the 50 spaces elsewhere, and the additional building will require additional parking, presumably, all to be worked out as a separate request and appearance before the Columbia Planning Commission.

Dale Marshall

Ben Arnold asked the commission to be sure of context and complications among the surrounding property owners, such as himself. Dale Marshal l , vice president of the Congaree Vista Guild, stood against the parking reduction request due to too few parking spaces in the area already. Warner Wells echoed Marshall.

The commission agreed without dissent to grant the zoning request. Miller- Valentine now must appear before City Council for a final approval.

Innovista Master Plan

Bill Boyd, representing USC's Innovista as chairman of its Waterfront Steering Committee, presented the Innovista Master Plan for information purposes only. The Columbia Planning Commission was suitably impressed, as was the audience of visitors, with the 500- acre vision of the future of the slope between USC's section of Main Street and its proposed presence on the east bank of the Congaree River.

Miller- Valentine's 823 Gervais Street with retail on the ground floor to the left and a restaurant in the existing Columbia Supply building to the right - existing Starbucks on the corner to the right

The plan has been the recipient of four national design and planning awards. Boyd told the commission the master plan had been presented 56 times so far. He also said to expect 10- 15 years for full effectuation and occupancy.

Ben Arnold Dale Stigamier Patrick Dye