The City of Columbia will host another public hearing to field questions and concerns about a proposed new Route 3/I-255 business district at the northern part of town. 

The hearing will take place at 7 p.m. Monday, March 4, at City Hall. 

Columbia is considering the adoption of a business district to promote existing businesses and attract new business to highly visible but underutilized property along I-255 – primarily along Old Route 3.  

“The city recognizes that its long-term viability depends, in part, on strengthening its tax base by diversifying its economic base,” the City of Columbia posted this week on its Facebook page in a post announcing the new hearing. “The city determined it is essential to its economic and social welfare to identify and promote opportunities for development and private investment to attract sound and stable commercial growth.”

A business district would ensure costs of mitigating any impacts of increased traffic utilization of Old Route 3 resulting from the planned I-255/Davis Street Ferry/Imbs Station Road interchange in Dupo are not unduly borne by city taxpayers, the city went on to state.

A business district is a mechanism to ensure related infrastructure improvements are funded from those areas receiving the greatest benefit. 

“A business district is not a method of rezoning included properties or amending a municipality’s comprehensive plan and/or land use policies,” the city’s Facebook post stressed.

A large audience attended the first public hearing on this proposed business district on Feb. 5, during which topics covered a variety of issues from eminent domain to environmental concerns.