Columbia City Council did not approve roll cart ban; approved Sinclair Farms development project
Watch the city council meeting replay in the player above.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia City Council voted against repealing a ban on roll carts for trash collection and approved rezoning property located on the west side of Sinclair Road.
Roll cart ban repeal
A citizen petition forced the city council to reconsider the roll cart ban.
Council voted 4-3 against repealing the ban Monday night.
Council had a lot to say and brought up the city's serious trash dysfunctions.
Voters approved the ban in 2016 to stop the city from adopting trash bins for collection. But now many residents say the current system of putting city-logo bags on the curb causes injuries for trash collectors, more litter and is more expensive.
Fifth ward councilman Matt Pitzer said repealing the ban is the council's way to fix some of the city's trash issues.
Third ward councilman Karl Skala said he doesn't think it is right for the council to cancel the ban that the people wanted.
Skala said he wants to know what the people want, and the way to do that is to let the people vote in a special election.
This is not the city's first discussion on roll carts. In July 2020, the city voted 3-3 to not hold a special election on the matter in November 2020.
Council members Betsy Peters, Mike Trapp, Ian Thomas, and Matt Pitzer were in support of holding a special election on roll carts, while Mayor Treece, council members Pat Fowler, and Karl Skala were against it. Thomas was absent during the vote.
Sinclair Road project
The council also approved rezoning property on the west side of Sinclair Road south of Nifong Boulevard in south Columbia.
The project received unanimous approval from council.
There was some concern from council and from residents that Sinclair road could not handle the increased traffic once new schools and the subdivision are built.
Crockett Engineering Consultants developed the plan and the developer is Rob Hill.
The massive new subdivision called Legacy Farms would be right across from John Warner Middle School on land owned by the University of Missouri. Last May, MU spokesman Christian Basi said the proceeds from selling the land are going toward the Sinclair School of Nursing and will be split between scholarships for nursing students and facility needs.
The university sold approximately 383 acres of land to the developers for this project, which is planned to include single-family, multi-family and commercial development.
The Planning and Zoning Commission considered the request at its Feb. 24 meeting.
Four members of the public spoke during the public hearing. Their concerns included the impacts of the development on nearby Mill Creek, which could exacerbate flooding issues; the inadequate condition of infrastructure on Sinclair Road and its ability to accommodate increased traffic; current traffic volumes on Nifong Boulevard; the suitability of the development of the overall acreage after part of the property contained radioactive material; and the proposed alignment of Southampton Drive to the west through another property owner’s site.
Throughout the past year, community members and members of the city's planning and zoning commission have expressed concerns that the property is a former disposal site for radioactive waste.
An Environmental Site Assessment Report on Sinclair Research Farm Columbia from July 2015 states that from 1972 through 1981 the land, known as the Waste Burial Site, was used for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste. Numerous field investigations have been conducted at the site including radiation surveys, groundwater sampling, and soil sampling. Developers say the level of radioactivity is safe for the property's planned use.
The university sold a 63-acre piece of the property to CPS district in 2017. A study found that there was no lasting impact from the radioactive waste on the property.
Check back here and watch ABC 17 News at 9 and 10 for more on this developing story.
