Columbia Planning and Zoning Commission expected to discuss city expansion

The city of Columbia could be expanding west if the Planning and Zoning Commission approves a proposal for a new subdivision.

The commission is expected to review to proposals at its Thursday night meeting.

The P-and-Z staff put together a report analyzing both proposals that sit north of Gillespie Bridge Road and west of the Perche Creek. The creek is the current western boundary for the city, but the city can still expand past that.

The staff is not recommending rezoning the eastern parcel to a residential zone. The staff said the entire parcel is located in a floodplain and development would be limited.

The staff seems more optimistic about the western parcel becoming a subdivision. The subdivision, which is expected to be called “Perche Ridge”, would have 33 buildable lots in the 17 acres the developer is asking for.

They do have some concerns, however, including future access and connectivity if the city continues to expand in that area.

Gillespie Bridge Road itself is also a concern, as it is “currently an unimproved road that can occasionally flood, and improvements may be needed in the future to upgrade the road to a minor arterial, as it is identified in the Major Roadway Plan (MRP),” the staff report says.

The Planning and Zoning Commission meeting begins at 5:30 p.m.

ABC 17 News will update this article with developments from the meeting.