Columbia City Council to vote on revised subdivision plans

The Columbia City Council is scheduled to vote on revised plans for a new subdivision that will be built near Ridgemont Drive and Ridgefield Road.

The original plan for the subdivision connected the two roads, but many residents said they were against the idea.

Some residents are still in favor of the original plan.

“It benefits the community,” Todd Irelan said. “It doesn’t ignore all the other interests in favor of just one street. I think that the pass through is the best option here.”

At its last meeting, the council voted to have the developers draft a new plan that would add a cul-de-sac to Ridgemont Drive.

Some residents are now asking the council to consider a new option.

Marty Katz, who lives on Fieldcrest, which is just off Ridgemont, is asking council members to consider building the entrance to the new subdivision on Ridgefield Road by extending the current dead-end street.

“It would be a much safer option for not only the new neighbors, the existing neighbors, but people who are passing through the neighborhood. “There’s a lot of cut-through traffic all of which passes through this section of Ridgemont.”

Katz claims Ridgemont experience more traffic than Ridgefield. He said the location for the proposed subdivision entrance would also be unsafe.

“This exit is going to come at this junction at these two huge hills when you have a hard time slowing down if you even wanted to,” said Alyce Turner, who also lives on Fieldcrest.

Both Ridgemont and Ridgefield are in the city’s top 15 streets in need of traffic calming.

“It’s a really big issue. We can’t even slow people down,” Turner said.

Residents on Ridgefield have also expressed concerns of increased traffic and speeding with the new subdivision.

The council meeting is scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m.