Plans Approved For Strip Mall, Food Mart At Holladay Place

Work on the new Wal-Mart Supercenter at Holladay Place is progressing rapidly, and construction on commercial outlets at the new development at the KY 61 South-Louie B. Nunn Parkway interchange will be getting underway in the near future.
At Thursday night’s regular meeting of the Columbia Planning and Zoning Commission, the commission members approved the final site plans for a strip mall that will be built on the site by Marketplace Development and a Five-Star Food Mart that will be built by Newcomb Oil Co.
Wise Smith, owner of Marketplace Development, which is based in Memphis, TN, and his engineer, Mike Dedman, were on hand to answer any questions about the development, which Smith said will be called Marketplace of Columbia.
Planning Commission chairman Joe Flowers told Smith that the commission members had reviewed the plans, and that “everything meets the city’s requirements.”The commission then voted unanimously to approve the site plan as presented.
The commission also unanimously approved the final site plan for the Five-Star Food Mart to be built by Newcomb Oil on another out-lot at the development. There was a small question about how turning lanes for the convenience store will be done, but engineer Jeff Arnold told the commission that they would wait until Wal-Mart is done with all of their work before addressing this issue.
The design of a new road in the development, which will be called Don Franklin Drive and will lead to a yet undeveloped 9-plus acre section of Holladay Place, was given approval.
Commission chairman Flowers questioned Jeff Arnold about whether or not the width of the street complied with city regulations. Plans call for the street to be 30 feet wide, while a city ordinance requires new streets to be 40 feet wide.
Arnold told Flowers that he would check into this matter, but Richard Lee Walker, one of the developers of Holladay Place, assured the commission that the street would meet the requirements. “Whatever the city determines as to the width of the street, the right-of-way and the width of the blacktop, we will comply with,” Walker stated.
The commission then voted to accept the plan, contingent on it meeting all city regulations.
In the only other action at the meeting, commission approved a request for a zoning change for a lot located at 303 Burkesville Street owned by Dr. and Mrs. Max Downey.
The Downeys filed a request that zoning for the property be changed from R-4 High Density Residential to C-1 Central Business Commercial. After conducting a public hearing on the matter at which no one voiced any opposition, the commission voted to approve the change and send a letter to the Columbia City Council recommending the zoning change.
Dr. Downey said that they plan to build an office building and parking area at some future time on the lot, which is located adjacent to his optometry practice.