Concerns over flooding, traffic, and school crowding dominated a Columbia Planning Commission meeting Thursday, as residents raised fears over plans for 79 new single-family homes in a currently-wooded area southwest of Fort Jackson, and north of Leesburg Road.
The debate came as planning officials gave an initial OK to annex about 17 acres into the city of Columbia, clearing the way for the new subdivision. The large site begins at 6701 Windwan Dr. Columbia City Council must still give final approval to the annexation.
Developer Phillip Loughridge with The Wilson Company told planning officials Thursday that despite neighborhood concerns, the planned 79 homes wouldn’t be “anything different” from what is currently allowed at the site if it remained in unincorporated Richland County…