COLUMBIA — At a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting Thursday night, there were already objections to street additions and extensions proposed for the city's Major Roadway Plan.
Suggested changes to the roadway plan included 10 new streets and four extensions in the Scott Boulevard area and eight new streets and two extensions in the Route K area.
These changes were based on recommendations by the Columbia Transportation Study Organization Coordinating Committee, which looks at what county, state and city constructions may be needed in the future and develops a long-term plan every five years. Columbia's plan is made up of projects that could be adopted in the future if needed.
The proposed changes were met with some resistance by southwest Columbia residents and Boone County Commission members, which caused the Planning and Zoning Commission to table this amendment until its Feb. 4 meeting.
The commission already has objected to a plan to route streets through the Arrowhead Lake Estate subdivision south of Scott Boulevard.
Members of the commission say collector streets near South Hills Drive, between Sundance Drive and Arrowhead Lake Drive, and between Sinclair Road and Highland Parkway would harm the subdivision.
Commissioner Skip Elkin said the proposed streets would have a negative impact on the quality of life in the neighborhood by bringing increased traffic from Scott Boulevard.
Streets in Arrowhead Lake Estate subdivision have no sidewalks or curbs, Elkin said. More traffic could make it dangerous for children.
“I don’t think it’s an effective collector,” he said. “A lot of people driving through Arrowhead Lake subdivision won’t benefit the area. I think it’s a waste of money.”
During the meeting, residents from southwest Columbia took issue with other proposals — an extension to Stedman Road and collector streets between Howard Orchard Road and Route K, between Warren Street Road and Timberview Drive, and between Mount Celestial Road and another potential street.
Members from the Vantage Point subdivision on Stedman Road expressed concern about the impact of new streets on their quiet area.
Brenda McGavock, who lives on the end of the Stedman Road cul-de-sac, objected to an extension that would run southwest from Stedman to connect to Route K, saying it would run through her front yard and potentially increase traffic in the subdivision.
“I have this lovely country house where we sit on the porch and watch deer and turkey,” McGavock said.
Resident Marie Haught, who said she has lived on Route K for 30 years, suggested that street additions and extensions would add three unneeded intersections to Route K and bring traffic to one-lane Nursery Road.
“Nursery Road is very, very narrow,” Haught said. “The way it is now, it can hardly handle one lane of traffic.”
Route K already has two intersections within a one-mile radius near Mount Celestial Road where collector streets are being proposed, Haught said.
City Planning Director Tim Teddy said none of the proposals were certainties. Whether streets actually get financed and constructed depends on how an area is developed and whether additional streets are needed, Teddy said.
“This is a planning tool. It is not a statement to the public that this is going to be funded,” Teddy said.
The city's planning department is looking at portions of southwest Columbia where significant growth is expected, Teddy said. It will examine the northeast part of the city, where the new high school will be built, as well as other areas.
He said there was more reason to study the areas around Scott Boulevard and Route K in 2006 when the real estate market was stronger and more development was occurring, but the area still deserves attention.
“It is still a good time to plan for meeting the need of future growth,” Teddy said.
There is the possibility that some of these projects could be built in the future, Teddy said. There are routinely deletions and additions based on community needs, he added.
In November, another potential road extension on Cunningham Road was taken off the Major Roadway Plan by the City Council because residents were worried it would run through a park and existing property.
The list of proposed streets and extensions to Scott Boulevard includes:
The list of proposed streets and extensions to Route K includes: