Columbia residents give input for city development

Residents in central Columbia are working with the city to come up with plans for vacant lots.

Saturday, a development planning meeting was held for residents to share their ideas of what they want the space along Sexton Road and Oak Street to look like.

Things like parks, playgrounds, street lighting and sidewalks are options the city may look into. People also said they would like to see improvements made to the storm sewer system.

The city hopes to get a feel for what the community wants before designing the space.

“Then we can go back and look at funding and what kind of designs we can come up with,” Randy Cole, a supervisor with the housing program said. “And come up with some options that contain elements of what we get today, and bring it back to the neighborhood and get further input of how the project can move forward.”

The city will likely purchase the properties by the end of the year.