Columbia, Missouri Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting - September 24, 2026

The Planning and Zoning Commission met at Columbia City Hall on Thursday, September 24, 2026, for its regular meeting scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Seven commissioners were present; Graybau was absent. The meeting began slightly late because of extended legal training. The commission approved routine agenda items, considered one final plat and four public hearing cases, and forwarded recommendations to the City Council.

Consent Calendar & Routine Approvals

• The meeting agenda was approved unanimously.
• The September 10, 2026 regular meeting minutes were approved with two abstentions (Commissioner Walters and the Chair).

Case #245-2026 – Hunter's Landing Plat 1-A (Final Plat)

• Staff described a 19.67-acre one-lot consolidation at 12 Blue Ridge Road, combining a PD-zoned west lot developed with an apartment complex and an undeveloped R-MF survey tract on the east.
• The plat includes 39 feet of right-of-way dedication on the north edge and standard 10-foot utility easements. Staff recommended approval subject to technical corrections, including about 400 square feet of right-of-way adjustment for the Blue Ridge/Providence roundabout and corrections to the tree preservation plan.
• Applicant Tim Crockett of Crockett Engineering said the owner plans market-rate apartments similar to the existing low-density two-story buildings.
• The commission voted unanimously to recommend approval subject to the technical corrections.

Case #221-2026 – Fair Lane Rezoning (R-2 to R-MF)

• The applicant, Fair Lane Townhomes LLC, sought to rezone 1.1 acres at 1896 Fair Lane—five undeveloped R-2 lots at the southern terminus of Fair Lane—to R-MF for approximately 15 townhomes. The case had been tabled from September 10, 2026.
• Public hearing notice was sent to 33 neighboring property owners on August 25, 2026, and was not re-advertised after the tabling.
• Staff recommended denial, citing limited access through a substandard 30-foot-wide Fair Lane in an R-2/single-family neighborhood, the open-ended character of R-MF zoning (potentially about 19 units on the vacated 1.1-acre site), and R-2 alternatives: duplexes could yield up to 10 units (40 bedrooms), and cottage development with a conditional use permit could yield about 12 units.
• Applicant engineer Keenan Simon said the R-MF proposal would yield 15 two-bedroom units (30 bedrooms), require stormwater detention/quality and on-site parking, and provide workforce housing. He argued the owner prefers townhomes over duplexes.
• Discussing commissioners raised compatibility, emergency access, and the risk that future owners could build more intense R-MF uses. Commissioners Lowe and Brodsky supported the rezoning; Lowe cited nearby transit and the need for townhome options.
• A motion to approve the R-2 to R-MF rezoning failed 5-2, with Lowe and Brodsky voting yes and Stanton, Stockton, Walters, Darr, and the Chair voting no. The commission will forward a recommendation of denial to the City Council.

Case #239-2026 – Tuscany Ridge Plat No. 5 Design Adjustment

• Crockett Engineering, for BC Investments of Columbia LLC, requested a design adjustment from UDC Section 29-5.1(G) regarding utility easement dedication for a proposed 45-lot final plat on 11.08 acres at 5305 Brown Station Road.
• Staff explained that an easement cannot be dedicated on the west side of Venetian Parkway because the city owns the adjacent property and cannot grant an easement to itself. The preliminary plat was approved in 2006, and utilities already exist on the east side of Venetian Parkway.
• Applicant Tim Crockett said the request is a technicality; relocating the parkway onto private property would create access problems.
• The commission voted unanimously to approve the design adjustment.

Case #241-2026 – 813 Donnelly Avenue Short-Term Rental CUP

• Brian Gaub, for BDG and MDGG Revocable Trust, requested a conditional use permit to allow 813 Donnelly Avenue to operate as a short-term rental for a maximum of six transient guests and up to 210 nights per year in the R-2 district.
• Staff noted the driveway provides three required spaces plus a one-car garage, no short-term rentals are established within 300 feet, the applicant has not operated the property as a short-term rental, and the designated agent lives 3.6 miles away. Staff received one email without a stated position, one additional email earlier in the week, and two further emails in opposition received during work session after the packet deadline.
• Applicant Brian Gaub said he and his wife bought the house in January 2024 for his wife's sister, who currently lives there; they are seeking the permit for future family visits and rental income if that situation changes.
• Commissioner Darr raised an opportunity cost concern about approving an unused STR permit that could affect future 300-foot applications; Commissioner Stanton said the market should decide. The Chair preferred that applicants plant their flag now so the STR use is established.
• The commission voted unanimously to approve the CUP with conditions: maximum six transient guests and maximum 210 rental nights per year.

Case #243-2026 – 5605 Pergola Drive Assembly/Lodge Hall CUP

• Broadfield Properties LLC requested a CUP for an assembly/lodge hall (wedding/event venue) on the M-N zoned portion of a roughly 5.73-acre split M-C/M-N site in the Old Hawthorne area.
• Staff recommended approval with two conditions: substantial conformance to the site plan and installation of a level-one landscape buffer along the northern edge abutting the R-1 golf-course property. Staff projected under 100 peak trips, making a traffic impact study unnecessary, and found adequate infrastructure.
• Applicant Tim Crockett, joined by Old Hawthorne club management, agreed to the level-three buffer on the east but asked to waive the northern level-one buffer because they own both sides, existing trees provide screening, and homes are 700–800 feet away across Grindstone Creek.
• Commissioner Darr questioned the practical need for the northern buffer; staff stated the code requires it, but the CUP process allows discretion.
• A motion to approve with staff's two conditions failed on a 4-3 vote: Stanton, Stockton, and Gray voted yes; Lowe, Walters, Brodsky, and Darr voted no.
• A follow-up motion to approve the CUP with only the site-plan conformance condition passed 6-1, with Stanton opposed. The northern level-one buffer was waived; eastern and Bower Lane buffering remained on the site plan.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Kim Stall, 5613 Bower Lane, said the proposed plans looked great and asked why the commission waived the tree/landscape buffer along the golf course. Staff and commissioners clarified that the waiver applied only to the northern golf-course edge and that natural vegetation would continue to provide screening.
• No other general public comments were made. Public hearing testimony is summarized in the case sections above.

Staff Comments & Work Session Preview

• The next regular meeting is scheduled for October 8, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. The commission expects to return to two meetings per month through the end of 2026, with December having one meeting.
• Staff previewed upcoming topics: data-center regulations and a Change.org survey presentation; a potential M-DT text amendment for Broadway Diner relocation requested by City Council with a target completion around December 2026; cottage-development code streamlining; possible setback and corner side-yard text changes; hotel-height/interchange analysis; and a comprehensive plan RFP.
• The October 8 agenda will include a Richland Road PD-to-MC rezoning and an R-1-to-R-2 rezoning off Honda Avenue.
• New commission officers for 2026–2027 were elected: David Brodsky as chair, Dr. Gray as secretary, and Stanton as vice chair.

Key Outcomes

• Recommended approval: Hunter's Landing Plat 1-A (unanimous); Tuscany Ridge Plat 5 design adjustment (unanimous); 813 Donnelly Avenue STR CUP (unanimous with conditions); and 5605 Pergola Drive assembly/lodge CUP (6-1 with site-plan condition only).
• Recommended denial: Fair Lane R-2-to-R-MF rezoning through a 5-2 vote against approval.
• Next regular meeting: October 8, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.