COLUMBIA, S.C. — Columbia's Planning Commission advanced a plan Thursday that would eliminate minimum parking requirements for commercial buildings 7,500 square feet or less.
City Leaders say its necessary to help eliminate some financial pain for new businesses.
"If we lower the parking, it really has the incentive of lowering the cost of entry for a new business owner," said Columbia Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Carl Blackstone.
Many small business owners like Doug Aylard, owner of Vino Garage in Columbia's North Main neighborhood, support the changes. Aylard spent thousands of dollars to meet the city's parking requirements.
"With them lifting those requirements then it opens it up so business that wouldn't have been able to occupy a particular building can now occupy that building," said Aylard.
"We definitely want to make it accessible for small business owners, community members that have limited funds to get their businesses started," said owner of Uncle Willies Grocery Store Christa Williams.
However, some residents are expressing concern about what kind of effect this change will have on a car-centric city like Columbia.
"Parking in general is probably always a concern and if a business does not have minimum parking requirements for the people who are going to be patrons there, yeah, it would add to my headache," one person said.
"They are going to add congestion, they are going to make our streets less pedestrian friendly than they are now," President of the Cottontown neighborhood Denise Wellman told the planning commission on Thursday.
Business Owners like Aylard said the changes won't end parking as we know it.
"Parking is paramount. If you don’t have enough parking, customers may go somewhere else," said Aylard.
The change would not affect any areas where people live, like homes or apartments.
Columbia city council members have also proposed several "business friendly initiatives,' like ending a water and sewer change of use fee and getting rid of a requirement that a business has to show their income tax returns to get a business license.