Columbia City Council voted last night on a proposal that would bring a new CVS pharmacy to downtown Columbia.
The entire council voted together 6-0 to strike down the further tabling of the proposal. The council was in agreement that further changes were necessary before it would reconsider.
Third Ward council member Karl Skala went as much to say that the CVS lawyers knew changes were necessary.
“Mr. Hollis himself has suggested that there’s lots of moving pieces and it’s going to take time to sort this out,” said Skala.
Many Columbia residents were also opposed to the CVS proposal without the necessary changes being implemented.
Some of those changes pertain to the height of the store to offer a proper second story that meets zoning requirements, the existing sewage line, as well as the location of dumpsters.
City activist and First Ward candidate John Clark thinks that even though the plans aren’t working out right now, they have the potential to down the road.
“I think in the long run there’ll be there’ll be a building there it’ll be a couple a three stories, it will address these issues and lots of people will be perfectly fine with that. Since this is foundational for how our downtown is going to grow, up not out for the next 20 years, this is a battle to have fought,” said Clark.
CVS will have plenty of time to make adjustments to the plan as the council will hear it again in 90 days.
