Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting – August 6, 2026
Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting – August 6, 2026
The Columbia, Missouri Planning and Zoning Commission met on August 6, 2026, at 7:00 PM in City Hall. The commission considered five cases: a 3-lot cottage preliminary plat, a 147-lot preliminary plat with design adjustments, a planned development plan for an office building, and two short-term rental conditional use permits. Votes were taken on all items, with recommendations forwarded to City Council.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Agenda: Moved by Commissioner Gray, seconded by Commissioner Stanton, unanimous.
- Approval of Minutes (July 23, 2026): Moved by Commissioner Gray, seconded by Commissioner Darrell, unanimous.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Case 160-2026 (Bluegill Land & Cattle preliminary plat): Multiple residents spoke against the development due to safety concerns on Brown School and Creasy Springs Roads. Dr. Barbara Wright (5650 N Wilderness Way) cited road width, lack of shoulders, heavy truck traffic, and inadequate fire protection. Dr. John Schultz (5430 N Clearview Rd) described the road as dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists and noted flooding. Stephanie Huffman (6900 N O'Neill Rd) warned of pedestrian fatalities. Mike Weifel (520 Sackett's Rd) questioned site distance measurements and speed studies. Paul Boomer (4756 Remer Rd) requested conditions to verify site distance and conduct a speed study. All speakers expressed support for development but insisted on infrastructure improvements.
- Case 200-2026 (122 N Greenwood Ave STR): Neighbors spoke against the non-owner-occupied short-term rental. Makayla Kittson (109 N Greenwood) supported hosted STRs but opposed commercial operations. Therese Folsom (111 N Greenwood) cited density and traffic concerns. Laura Mitchell (209 Ridgeway Ave), president of West Ash Neighborhood Association, noted the property was purchased for commercial use and argued the neighborhood already has many STRs. Dora Sohara (715 West Ash) highlighted safety risks from fast traffic, bicycles, and wheelchairs on Ash Street. Christine Gardiner (112 Anderson Ave) emphasized the loss of neighborly support. D Doc (804 Agin St) argued the 300-foot rule should be considered due to an existing STR nearby.
- Case 202-2026 (2400 Chapel Hill Rd STR): No public opposition. Applicant Brooke McCarty (3700 Monterey Dr) spoke in support, noting local ownership, investment in the property, and a history of responsible property management.
Discussion Items
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Case 186-2026 – Jefferson Cottages Preliminary Plat: Staff presented a 3-lot infill cottage development on a 0.33-acre site at 307 Sexton Road, zoned R-2. The Board of Adjustment had approved optional cottage standards. Lots would range from 3,500 to 4,500 sq ft, with setbacks exceeding minimums. Applicant Tim Crockett (Crockett Engineering) noted the project would add three single-family homes, less intense than the permitted duplexes. Commissioners praised the infill approach and approved unanimously.
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Case 160-2026 – Bluegill Land & Cattle Preliminary Plat and Design Adjustments: Staff requested approval of a 147-lot preliminary plat on 75.51 acres at the southeast corner of Creasy Springs and Brown School Roads, with design adjustments for block length (four segments over 600 ft) and a street segment serving 36 lots (over 30). Applicant Brian Harrington (Allstate Consultants) presented a traffic study showing no need for turn lanes, with site distances exceeding minimums. The development includes a lake, pedestrian trails, and stormwater detention. Commissioners discussed safety concerns raised by the public, but noted that the traffic study met standards and that improvements would follow development. The motion to approve design adjustments and the plat passed unanimously.
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Case 195-2026 – Columbia Mutual Insurance PD Plan and Statement of Intent: Staff presented a plan for a 28,600 sq ft office building on 19.59 acres at the southeast corner of Discovery Parkway and Gans Road, within the existing Philips Farm PD. The building would be two stories (under 35 ft, though up to 90 ft allowed), with 9.4% impervious cover (well under the 30% limit). Applicant Tim Crockett noted the site has been held since 2010. A neighbor asked about ingress/egress and residential uses. The commission approved 8-0-1 (Commissioner Stanton recused).
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Case 200-2026 – Short-Term Rental CUP at 122 N Greenwood Ave: Staff recommended approval for a non-owner-occupied STR with six guests and 210 nights/year. The site is 0.2 acres, zoned R-2, with a new driveway meeting parking standards. An existing owner-occupied STR is within 300 feet. Commissioners debated the concentration of STRs in the area (nine within a small radius). The motion to approve failed 1-8, with Commissioner Stanton in favor. The recommendation against approval will go to City Council.
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Case 202-2026 – Short-Term Rental CUP at 2400 Chapel Hill Rd: Staff recommended approval for an eight-guest, 210-night/year STR on a 0.69-acre site zoned R-MF. The applicants are local property owners with 20 years of experience. No other STRs within 300 feet. The commission approved unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Case 186-2026: Motion to approve the Jefferson Cottages preliminary plat with minor technical corrections passed unanimously.
- Case 160-2026: Motion to approve the design adjustments from Section 29-5.1(c) passed unanimously. Motion to approve the preliminary plat with minor technical corrections passed unanimously.
- Case 195-2026: Motion to approve the PD plan and statement of intent with minor technical corrections passed 8-0-1 (Commissioner Stanton recused).
- Case 200-2026: Motion to approve the STR CUP with six guests and 210 nights failed 1-8. Recommendation against approval sent to City Council.
- Case 202-2026: Motion to approve the STR CUP with eight guests and 210 nights passed unanimously.
- Next Meeting: Scheduled for August 20, 2026, at 7:00 PM (tentative).
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. I will now call the August sixth, twenty twenty-sixth meeting of the planning and zoning commission to order. Commissioner Brodsky, may we please have a roll call. We may. Thank you. We all are uh sorry, Rusty, you're I was gonna say Mr. Zinner, but you're not Mr. Zinner. Are there any changes to our agenda this evening? Uh nope, there are not. Thank you, Mr. Palmer. Uh is there a motion to approve the agenda? Move to approve the agenda. Second. Moved by Commissioner Gray, seconded by Commissioner Stanton. Approval on the agenda. Unanimous thank you. We all received a copy of the July twenty-third, twenty twenty-six regular meeting minutes. Are there any changes or adjustments to the minutes? Seeing none, is there a motion to approve? Move to approve the minutes. Moved by Commissioner Gray and seconded by Commissioner Darrell. Is there a thumbs up approval of the minutes? Um real quick on the public notice front here. Um directly south of like the parquet shopping center. So uh and then uh another uh point of reference would be Hickman High School just kind of halfway on and off the page on the top right. So it's uh sorry, I got multiple mouses, mice here to deal with, so not used to that. Uh so as you said, or as I said, the subject sites in the northeast corner of Sexton and Jefferson, it's currently zoned R2, and it is currently vacant. Uh the BOA approved optional cottage development standards on July 14th. Um so as we all know, the cottage standards uh reduce the R2 dimensional standards. Uh and the purpose would be to allow general density and infill development uh scenarios. Uh it would allow a minimum lot size or maximum let me back up minimum lot size, sorry, of uh 3,000 square feet and a minimum lot width of 30 feet. Uh we do often find that those are not uh uh where those lots are coming in. Uh they they typically are somewhere around the 40 foot mark. Uh and you see that echoed here in a minute. Um the front and rear setbacks uh minimums are then reduced to 10 feet, and again, um most of our cottage development uh is not coming in at the minimum. Uh and we'll see that again here too. Uh so I've already made uh proposed lots on this uh preliminary plat are between 55 and 70 feet wide. Um the 70-foot wide lot being the south lot, and a lot of that's taken up in corner truncation. So that full frontage is not uh uh usable for driveway access. So that's the reason for the extra width on that one. Um they are also uh somewhere between 65 and 68 feet deep. It kind of ranges from uh narrower on the south end and wider on the top end. The two lot lines, the front and rear lot lines are not exactly parallel to one another. So that's the reason for that. And uh because of the varied lot uh dimensions, you have lots here between 35 and 4500 square feet, so well above the 3,000 square foot minimum again. These uh on the preliminary plat are shown to have a 20-foot building line along uh both street frontages. Um again that's uh in excess of what is required in the cottage standards, and that's basically a developer imposed restriction on the plates so that the houses that would be built on these lots uh begin to mimic the setbacks that already exist on both of those frontages, um the existing homes to the north and to the east. Uh there's a uh 10 foot of additional right-of-way dedicated uh along with uh a corner truncation there for Jefferson Street.
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