Columbia Housing Authority seeks parking plan update for Kinney Point housing complex

Charles Dunlap, Columbia Daily Tribune
·2 min read
The Columbia City Council awarded $2 million to the Columbia Housing Authority to build a 24-unit affordable housing complex at the northeast corner of Garth Avenue and Sexton Road. The complex will be called Kinney Point.
The Columbia City Council awarded $2 million to the Columbia Housing Authority to build a 24-unit affordable housing complex at the northeast corner of Garth Avenue and Sexton Road. The complex will be called Kinney Point.

The Columbia City Council in February awarded $2 million of HOME-ARP funds to the Columbia Housing Authority, allowing it to construct an affordable housing complex known as Kinney Point at the northeast corner of Garth Avenue and Sexton Road.

HOME-ARP stands for HOME Investment Partnerships American Rescue Plan Program.

The housing authority is returning to the council this month with a major amendment to the development plan approved last winter and its statement of intent.

A first reading of the bill is expected Tuesday, with further discussion and possible approval likely at the July 18 council meeting.

The housing authority seeks to conduct stormwater drainage improvements "to ensure that all stormwater leaving the site has no greater impact upon the surrounding residential development than exist today," a staff memo notes.

More: Kinney Point will bring a 24-unit affordable housing complex near Garth and Sexton in Columbia

"The improvements shown will in fact help to mitigate current stormwater issues," the memo noted.

The other significant change is a design exception to reduce the number of off-street parking spots at the property from 68 to 40. The Universal Development Code requires 68 spaces based on the proposed bedroom mixture of the 24-unit complex.

The housing authority is requesting the reduction based on several factors, including:

  • A previous staff report did not note the proposed bedroom mixture, and information for the parking space waiver was based on single-family dwellings. Kinney Point is a multi-family complex.

  • Likelihood of low personal car ownership rates among residents and less reliance on personal vehicles due to Kinney Point's location to public transportation.

  • Overflow parking availability at the neighboring Oak Tower property of approximately 10 spaces.

  • The housing authority could go to 50 spaces, but that would require removal of several trees, which is not desired by current neighbors or future residents, the memo noted.

The city seeks to promote non-motorized transportation, such as bicycles, and increased use of public transportation, staff wrote in the memo. There will be bike storage at the property and it is two blocks from the city's Gold bus route.

Following public comments and commission discussion, the city's Planning and Zoning Commission signed off on a recommendation June 9 that the city council approve the amended plan. The vote there was 7-0, with two abstentions.

One speaker was concerned about traffic congestion because of the reduced parking, while two others spoke in support of the plan, the staff memo noted.

Charles Dunlap covers local government, community issues and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Please consider subscribing to support vital local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Columbia Housing Authority seeks parking plan updates for Kinney Point