City of Columbia, Missouri

Meeting Minutes

Planning and Zoning Commission

Columbia City Hall

Conference Rm 1A/1B

701 E Broadway

Thursday, March 6, 2025

5:30 PM

Work Session

I. CALL TO ORDER

9 -

Present:

Sara Loe, Anthony Stanton, Sharon Geuea Jones, Peggy Placier, Shannon Wilson,

Thomas Williams, Robert Walters, McKenzie Ortiz and David Brodsky

II. INTRODUCTIONS

III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Meeting agenda adopted unanimously

Approve agenda as submitted

IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

February 20, 2025 Work Session

The February 20, 2025 work session minutes approved unanimously with

Commissioners Geuea Jones and Walters abstaining.

Approve work session minutes as submitted

V. OLD BUSINESS

A. UDC Text Amendment - Small Lot Use-Specific Standards

Mr. Zenner introduced the topic and sought to complete discussion on the previously

introduced new topics from the February 20 meeting that were related to “lot diversity” and

“sidewalks and street trees”. However, prior to engaging in that evaluation he believed it was

necessary to confirm the threshold of where the new “design” requirements proposed in the

use-specific standards needed to become effective. He noted that there appeared to be some

concern expressed that the 30-lot threshold was too high.

There was significant Commissioner discussion on this topic. Commissioners asked for

reclarification of how the 30-lots was arrived at and if there were other possible thresholds

within the UDC that could be used. Mr. Zenner explained that the 30-lot threshold was based

on the UDC’s requirement that a secondary access be provided in development’s greater than

30-lots. He further explained that the only other differentiation in the UDC that could

potentially be considered was between a “minor” and a “major” subdivision which is

distinguished as a development containing fewer or greater than 5-lots, respectively, where

no new public infrastructure (i.e. sewer or roadways) would be required to serve the lots. If a

new threshold or criterion was desired it could be created, but Mr. Zenner expressed it was

staff’s preference such action be avoided because it creates another regulatory element to

have to consider in “small-lot” development administration.

There was back and forth discussion about how the proposed 30-lot threshold would be

applied specifically with the concept of “lot diversity” and that if this criterion was really

even necessary. While this specific use-specific standard was questioned, it was agreed that

the underlying issues to resolve had to do more with where the “design” use-specific standard

elements (i.e. architectural style & lot diversity) needed to “kick-in” with respect to the

proposed regulations. There was discussion regarding the necessity for the requirements and

the fact that if such standards were not incorporated it could become possible to create

unimaginative small lot developments resulting in a less desirable built environment. Mr.

Zenner also cautioned on creating a threshold so low that it could impact the ability to

promote small lot “infill” development and reminded the Commission of other regulatory

changes that were recently adopted affecting uncontrolled lot consolidations.

Following a lengthy discussion and consideration of several different scenarios, it was

concluded that setting the threshold at 5 lots would result in unintended consequences. As an

alternative, the Commission discussed establishing the threshold at 15 lots. Mr. Zenner noted

that it would be more appropriate to consider a threshold at an even number such that

distribution of lots along a street segment could be even on both sides. As such, it was agreed

that the threshold at which compliance with the “design standards” would be triggered would

be 16-lots.

There was also discussion that the preface language leading into each of the design

standards (i.e. architecture and lot diversity) needed to be modified to ensure that it was the

same. To this end, the language referencing a development that had “three-quarters (0.75) or

more of its lots” meeting a specific lot size was eliminated. This change was viewed as a

means of reducing calculations that staff and development professional would have to

preformed with respect to the standards. The language change would now simply state that

“any development with 16 or more lots” meeting the lot size thresholds in the specific zoning

districts would be required to compliance.

Having reached the end of the allotted work session time, Mr. Zenner noted that the remaining

use-specific standards regarding sidewalk installation and street trees would be discussed at

the upcoming March 20 work session. He also noted that Mr. Kunz was working to develop

graphics that would help visualize the small-lot standards discussed to date such that

Commissioners could understand how all of the regulatory standards were working together

to produce new development outcomes. Mr. Zenner also noted that these graphics would help

to identify where possible subdivision standard modifications would be needed.

VI. NEXT MEETING DATE - March 20, 2025 @ 5:30 pm (tentative)

VII. ADJOURNMENT

Meeting adjourned at 7 pm.

Move to adjourn