Compromise would restrict destruction of old homes

Developers should post signs for 15 days on homes they want to tear down in Columbia’s historic downtown neighborhoods, real estate professionals and neighborhood leaders recommended Tuesday.

During that time, a committee appointed by City Council would decide whether the home can be razed. It also would have final approval on what is built in its place.

The temporary measure, to be considered by City Council on Sept. 5, responds to complaints that neighborhoods like Shandon and Heathwood are being cluttered by oversized homes on small, cut-up lots.

Mayor Bob Coble and City Council candidate Belinda Gergel called for the temporary restrictions after developer Ben Arnold razed a historic home in Heathwood after promising neighbors and the Columbia Planning Commission he wouldn’t.

“We hope to put an interim ordinance in place that would allow us time to take a long-term look at our neighborhoods,” the mayor said. “In-fill development is positive for the city, but we need to bring the old codes up to the current reality.”

The issue is an example of the growing pains downtown Columbia is undergoing as the populace ages and more people choose older, in-town neighborhoods over sprawling suburbs.

Tuesday’s meeting of more than 60 people at City Hall was an unprecedented summit of developers, builders, preservationists, neighborhood leaders and real estate agents.

It was also a political showdown between Gergel, a former history professor and past chairwoman of the Historic Columbia Foundation, and Brian Boyer, a protege of his brother-in-law, financier Don Tomlin.

The two are vying for the council seat to be vacated by Anne Sinclair, who represents Shandon and Rosewood among other neighborhoods.

During the meeting, the two clashed over whether Gergel called for an all-out ban on construction in neighborhoods that have historic designation or have applied for one.

Gergel said she just wants a moratorium on demolition and subdividing larger lots. Boyer charged that is a de facto moratorium on building.

The compromise plan that received the group’s tacit approval Tuesday was forged by developer Chris Dorsey, representing a large contingent of real estate professionals, and builder and attorney Robert Lewis, an expert in renovating historic structures and a member of Historic Columbia.

Still in play is the makeup of the committee, with a five-member board suggested. It would be made up of a Historic Columbia representative, two developers and two city staff members.

Many in the group called for an additional seat for neighborhood representatives, who would rotate depending on the neighborhood in question, a proposal Dorsey grudgingly accepted.

“I don’t think it’s going to happen without it,” he said.

Coble said he will consider other recommendations — such as the age designation for a “historic” structure — before putting the measure before council.

“We made remarkable progress at the meeting. It’s a very good start.”

Reach Wilkinson at (803) 771-8495.