Will plan for 19 homes on S. Beltline bring ‘more problems’? Here’s what neighbors say
A plan to build 19 homes on South Beltline Boulevard and Mikell Lane in Columbia has sparked concerns among some neighbors who fear the project could worsen infrastructure problems in the area.
Local developer Lafaye Custom Homes has its sights set on a 16.2-acre parcel near the South Kilbourne neighborhood. Because most of that property lies within a federally designated floodplain, all the homes will be built on just 4.2 acres, according to documents submitted to the city Planning Commission.
“This would create a new neighborhood,” said Wyman Bowers, vice president of LaFaye Custom Homes. “There’s very few of those in town because there’s not a lot of large plots left to build upon.”
The homes would be priced between $275,000 and $350,000, Bowers said. The average price for a home in that neighborhood is around $145,000, according to data from Zillow.
Bowers said he hoped the development would increase property values in the neighborhood and improve the area overall.
“We want to produce a win-win,” he said. “It may bring more attention to the current concerns as far as infrastructure.”
But not all residents see it that way.
At a Wednesday night meeting of the South Kilbourne Neighborhood Association, Bowers’ plan faced criticism from several attendees who spoke out about deteriorating sewer and water systems in the area.
Among them was Marian Davis, who lives just one street over from the proposed development. In the 35 years she’s lived there, sewage has repeatedly backed up into her home, Davis said. Though the city has tried to work with her over the years, the issues remain, Davis said.
For longtime residents, few improvements have been made “and now we’re going to add to the system,” she said. “I’m just afraid there’s going to be more problems.”
A spokesperson from Columbia Water said that engineering staff had reviewed the developer’s proposal and staff did not find any issues that could affect water and sewer service in the area. They also noted that “a major project to replace aging water lines is under design for the Rosewood / South Kilbourne area. “
Residents at Wednesday’s meeting also questioned how 19 new homes would impact traffic on South Beltline Boulevard. Several people said they already struggled to back out of their driveways on the busy throughway. Some said they want the developer to conduct a traffic study.
Bowers explained that typically, the South Carolina Department of Transportation only requires traffic studies for single family developments with 90 or more homes, but that he was still waiting on more guidance from the department.
The proposed lot size of each home was another point of contention.
According to documents submitted to the Planning Commission, lot sizes at the development will range from about 4,200 square feet to 6,300 square feet. Though those lot sizes were permissible under the city’s previous zoning guidelines, a new zoning ordinance adopted on Aug. 30 requires a minimum lot size of 15,000 square feet for that property.
Lucinda Statler from the city’s Planning Department explained that despite the rules change, any developer who submitted a site plan application before Aug. 30 could still follow the old zoning guidelines. The site plan for the South Beltline development was submitted on Aug. 26.
When asked if he would consider building a development with the updated lot sizes instead, Bowers told the crowd at the meeting, “probably not.”
Resident Mark Cox said he got the impression that Bowers was trying to build as many homes as he could on the property, without taking into consideration what the city had determined was the best way forward for the neighborhood.
“It is at this point a money making grab because if it wasn’t, you would do the large lots if it really was that special of a plot,” Cox said at Wednesday night’s meeting.
The city Planning Commission is set to vote on the proposal at its documents submitted to the city Planning Commission.
