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COLUMBUS—On Monday night at the Womack Building, the Columbus Board of Planning and Adjustment held its regular meeting and discussed the proposed Feagan Property Development Project, a subdivision that would bring dozens of homes to the downtown area. 

In a meeting attended by over forty citizens, the Board acknowledged early on that a representative from Quartz Properties, the project’s developer, would not be attending due to Hurricane Helene-related issues. 

The board, led by Catherine Elliot, then listed suggestions they would give the developer when they made their next appearance, along with a reminder to provide the studies already requested. The first suggestion was to recommend a new exit for the development instead of utilizing Weaver St. behind the CVS. The second recommendation was to change the development layout so homes would not be built in the floodplain. 

The meeting then moved to the public comment section, where thirteen citizens from across Polk County spoke up to oppose the development. Residents’ primary concerns centered around traffic on Highway 108 from the roundabout to Columbus Baptist Church and shoppers’ ability to access and exit Food Lion. Other concerns from commenters included traffic, infrastructure, and property values of homes neighboring the development. 

The board also discussed amending the Unified Development Ordinance regarding density in the Traditional Neighborhood Development zone. The board approved suggesting amendments to the UDO for townhomes to the Columbus Town Council regarding how many should be allowed per acre under the ordinance. 

The Board of Planning and Adjustment will meet again on November 18 at 6 p.m.