Property in Columbia’s Shandon neighborhood rezoned for commercial use

Developers looking to have property on Devine and Maple streets in downtown Columbia rezoned for more commercial use scored a partial victory Monday.

Jimmy Williams, representing Estates & Cos., asked the city’s planning commission to rezone three parcels – two on Devine Street and one across the road on Maple Street. The company aims to offer space for retail use on the first floor of the project and space for offices on the second and third floors, according to planning commission documents.

“We want to have a cohesive plan and a cohesive development along Devine Street instead of kind of piecemealing differing zonings together,” Williams said.

The land on Maple Street and one of the lots on Devine Street currently are used as parking lots.

Planning commission members agreed to the Devine Street changes but decided against rezoning the Maple Street property, saying it could lead to more commercial development intruding on the neighborhood – if not by Estates & Cos. then by any company that purchases the property at a later date.

Derek Riley, president of the Old Shandon Neighborhood Association, said he’s concerned that a plan isn’t in place for the Maple Street property. The neighborhood is adjacent to Devine and Maple streets.

“The developers did approach us and tell us their plans a few weeks ago – we were excited about what they had planned for Devine Street,” Riley said. “But we were under the understanding the 720 Maple parcel would be used for parking for that project, which would have required no need for rezoning.”

But Williams argued that the area has a long history of commercial use.

“If you follow the history of this, even going back to 1913, this area was a commercial node,” Williams said.

Other projects by Estates & Cos. locally include transforming the Whitney Hotel in Columbia into apartments, 42 Magnolia apartments in Forest Acres and Arcadia’s Edge apartments in Arcadia Lakes.

The firm recently was at the center of a long-contested riverfront development in West Columbia, which that city approved in January.

This story was originally published April 4, 2016 at 8:35 PM with the headline "Property in Columbia’s Shandon neighborhood rezoned for commercial use."