Columbia City Council asks staff to examine demolition delays for historic properties

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia City Council directed city staff Monday night to examine whether the city can legally delay demolition permits involving properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The council unanimously approved a motion requesting a staff memo or short report on the legality of creating an administrative delay. Staff members were asked to bring the information back by the council’s second meeting in October.

The vote does not establish a delay, and no new restrictions on demolition permits are currently in effect. The council would need to take additional action after reviewing the staff report.

First Ward Councilwoman Valerie Carroll introduced the proposal during council comments at the end of Monday’s meeting. Carroll said recent efforts to preserve Katy Station prompted the discussion, but she wants the city to consider protections for other historic properties that could face demolition.

Carroll initially suggested a delay of up to one year, but the motion approved Monday does not specify how long a potential delay would last. City staff will first examine what authority it has and how such a policy could legally operate.

Carroll said an administrative delay could provide additional time for private buyers, preservation groups or the city to explore alternatives before a historic property is demolished.

Katy Station, also known as the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad Depot, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and houses Shiloh Bar and Grill. A community group called Save Katy Station has been working to preserve the building.

During the council discussion, members also raised questions about which demolition applications currently receive a historic-preservation review and whether a delay should apply to every permit or only properties on the National Register.

The staff report is expected to address those questions before the council decides whether to pursue a new policy.