A pair of hearings for variances for properties on Church Street will take place next month.
The Columbia Board of Aldermen set the hearings as citizens and Building Inspector Lonnie Stringer discussed in one case, new construction and in another, a change of occupancy for a structure.
Casey Meitzler asked the board for a variance to construct a home on a lot located at 1205 Church Street. The new construction will replace a home that burned in February 2017. The city had asked that the property be cleaned and it had been recently.
“I’m here to request a variance on the property because we want to build a house and according to the ordinance, the lot size is not big enough,” she said. “The lot is supposed to by 12,000 square feet and we are right at 10,000. The second one is that it is only 60 feet of road frontage and also needs 15 feet on each side, and I’m asking for a variance of five on each side. I don’t think it will go over that, but we’re doing this just in case.”
The board learned the style of house and saw that it would be on a concrete foundation.
“Under our zoning ordinance, what I need to do is prepare a notice for a public hearing and let it come back up for an actual vote,” City Attorney Lawrence Hahn said. “This would take place at the second meeting in August.”
Hahn said the hearing would be on Aug. 21 during the city meeting. Aldermen said they and the board of adjustment would look at the plans and site, but said it was likely to be approved.
“To have an empty lot there or a new house – It’s a no-brainer,” Ward 2 Alderman Jason Stringer said.
The board also heard a request from Helen Moses, who owns My Luv daycare at 904 Church St. Moses is currently located on the south side of Church Street and would like to expand, taking a house on the north side, across the street from her current location and have both due to the demand for daycare and after school programs.
“I would like to expand across the street for school-aged kids,” she told the board. “I want to be able to have them there before and after school.”
The board set a hearing on her request to allow the business in the residence across the street. A public hearing for it will also be held at the Aug. 21 meeting.
The Board also continued discussions with property owner Robert Johnson of 518 Bullis St. A resolution was passed to demolish the structure, however Johnson says he’s working to clean and sell the property. Mayor Justin McKenzie said the city would inspect the area again before demolishing it, but that the property had been discussed for months.
“If there is a drastic improvement, we’ll delay it,” the mayor said. “Lonnie will inspect it before any action is taken, but we want to move forward with demolition.”
The board also learned that a house scheduled for a hearing for demolition at 911 Pope St. needed no action because the owners were tearing it down.
The board ordered letters sent to owners to mow and clean properties at 321 Hawkins Ave. and 921 Garden Ave.
The board also set hearings for Aug. 21 to mow and clean properties at 719 Church St., 818 Greymont Drive, 1023 Church St., 906 Church St., 338 Hawkins Ave., and a lot on D Street. A hearing was also set on the demolition of a home at 1405 N. Main St.
