Columbus Council denies controversial Veterans Parkway development after 3 votes
After three votes, the Columbus Council denied a controversial rezoning request for a proposed development off Veterans Parkway after residents spoke against the plan during a December meeting.
David Erickson, president of Tiger Creek Development, applied to rezone 21.7 acres at 8828 Veterans Parkway and 4885 Charleston Way to allow single-family and multifamily residential homes on the property. The area is zoned for only single-family homes.
Tiger Creek Development’s plan is to add 93 new homes, including 78 townhomes, Erickson told the Ledger-Enquirer.
The Columbus Planning Advisory Commission recommended denying the rezoning request during an Oct. 1 meeting. During the first reading for this request Dec. 9, the council heard concerns from residents about increased traffic that would result from the development.
Residents also argued that the plan is not what was presented and approved for the area in 2014.
“In fairness to what Mr. Erickson said, the economy has changed,” Columbus resident Ben Sorrell said during the Dec. 9 meeting. “I do agree with that. But the profit margin of the developer shouldn’t outweigh the commitments that this council made and what the community was sold on 11 years ago.”
Erickson said a traffic study found there would be less traffic if townhomes were added to the development than if only single-family homes were built on the property. People who live in townhomes generate less traffic than people who live in single-family homes, he argued.
Vance Beck, the Columbus Consolidated Government’s engineering director, told the council his department does not have any traffic concerns about this proposed development.
Mayor Pro Tem Gary Allen, who represents District 6 on the council, indicated during the first reading that he would vote against the request.
Allen, joined by Councilors Travis Chambers of citywide District 10, Byron Hickey of District 1, Joanne Cogle of District 7 and Bruce Huff of District 3, voted to deny the request Dec. 16.
Councilors Charmaine Crabb of District 5, Glenn Davis of District 2, Walker Garrett of District 8 and John Anker of citywide District 9 voted against denying the request during the Dec. 16 meeting. Councilor Toyia Tucker of District 4 did not attend the meeting, so she did not vote.
With no majority, the vote was inclusive and came up again during Tuesday’s meeting.
Allen, Chambers, Tucker, Garrett and Cogle voted to deny the request in Tuesday’s vote, while Crabb, Davis and Anker voted against denying the request. Hickey and Huff did not attend the meeting and did not vote.
Later in the meeting, Allen motioned for the issue to be reconsidered with no opposition.
In this final vote, Davis changed his vote to deny the request, leaving only Crabb and Anker voting against the denial.
