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Columbia approves zoning for more residential housing near Leesburg Road

Columbia's Planning Commission approved a zoning request from developers Canary Woods LLC, pending annexation

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A zoning request was approved that would allow for more residential homes off of Leesburg Road in Columbia.

Tommy Ayer has lived on old Leesburg Road for decades; he says a newly approved zoning request has him worried his once-rural neighborhood could be a thing of the past. 

"The quietness of the area is just going away," he said, "We came out here because we liked the peace and quiet. Now, with all the building, it's just getting crowded."

The request came from developers from Canary Woods LLC. On Thursday, they asked Columbia's Planning Commission for permission to rezone a portion of land along old Leesburg Road. The developers had previously requested to be annexed into the City of Columbia.

According to the application, the land is in the process of annexation, and once that is complete, developers would like to see the land zoned for urban residential, small lots and residential single-family small lots. That area was also given high-density zoning from Richland County.

Members of the public were given a chance to voice their opinions on the project during Thursday's meeting. Mary Lynn Bare owns property next to the proposed development.

"There is not enough land between the houses to make a road - the road off of Leesburg road wouldn't cross a dirt road and create a major safety hazard for that area," she said.

The commission ultimately voted in favor of the rezoning with a unanimous vote. The applicants were not in attendance for the planning commission meeting and did not offer comment. 

Ayer says he's worried about the schools and the development's impact on his property.

"There's just nowhere for these kids to go to school. We have a problem with our dirt road out here, it's like a one-lane road, and it's going to have an increased traffic flow on it, so something's going to have to be done there," he said.

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