Columbia City Council renames part of Rice Road

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

UPDATE, 12/16, 8:02 p.m.: The Columbia City Council voted 6-1 to rename a portion of Rice Road in northeast Columbia.

The council voted to change the name from Rice Road to Geyser Boulevard between Ballenger Lane to Lake of the Woods Road. Sixrh Ward councilwoman Betsy Peters was the lone vote against the plan.

Third Ward councilman Karl Skala, who represents the area, said he did not think the name change would affect the perception of Rice Road that developers hoped to address with the name change, but did think it was appropriate.

ORIGINAL: The public will have an opportunity to weigh in on a proposal to rename a Columbia road.

A public hearing is scheduled to be held at Monday night's City Council meeting.

D&D Investments of Columbia, LLC wants to rename a portion of Rice Road to Geyser Boulevard. The name change would apply to the section of Rice Road from Ballenger Lane to Lake of the Woods Road.

In a September letter, the company said that renaming the road would be part of an effort to "reinvest and reinvigorate" the area. The letter also said the name change would enhance the reputation of the neighborhood. The company also said it had received positive feedback from property owners it contacted.

The City Council's decision comes after the Planning and Zoning Commission rejected the request at its Nov. 7 meeting. During that meeting, some commissioners said they felt there were other ways to improve the area.