More than 2 dozen homes, commercial space planned for West Columbia development (2024)

WEST COLUMBIA — A proposed development that could bring over two dozen homes and commercial space to West Columbia is moving forward.

The development is slated for over 2 acres of land on South Cromwell Street between Augusta and Center streets. It will include 27 homes and a commercial district, according to city documents. The initial proposal was approved by the West Columbia Planning Commission at a May 20 meeting.

The 27 single-family homes proposed for the site are expected to be valued between $325,000 and $375,000, project designer Gene Pierce said.

The area consists of a mix of mostly empty lots and some vacant buildings, according to Planning Commission documents.

The current proposal would provide two parking spaces per single-family home, according to planning commission documents.

The project will be built at the same time rather than in phases, Pierce said.

Representatives for the developers of the project told the planning commission that plans for the commercial area are not set in stone. The commercial portion of the project does not have a committed tenant, but the project will be looking for an occupant providing a service to the development and surrounding neighborhood, Pierce said.

The proposal does not currently include street parking for the commercial space. The developer hopes to encourage walkability in the development, Pierce said.

A resident on Center Street who spoke at the meeting said she was concerned about street parking provided in the development, saying nearby streets are busy during rush hour, which could lead to accidents with parked cars.

“We’ve been waiting for that lot to be developed, maybe buy one of them,” she said. “We’re excited about the houses coming … I love that they’re single family and not duplexes. They look like they’re going to be beautiful. I’m just kind of concerned about the fallout — parking, traffic, things like that.”

Final details of the project’s design are still to be determined as the proposal makes its way through further city and county approval channels, Pierce said.