COLUMBIA, S.C. — In a special-called meeting of the Columbia Design Development and Review Commission (DDRC), commissioners voted to rescind their vote on a proposed student housing complex.
In their January 9, 2020 meeting, the commission voted unanimously not to approve a proposal by Trinitas Ventures, an Indiana based developer.
Trinitas Ventures proposed building an 8-story, 276 unit student housing complex at 1600 Gervais St.
That property is owned by former S.C. Republican strategist Richard Quinn Sr.
On Friday, the DDRC voted 3-2, with one abstaining vote, to reconsider their January 9th decision.
"It think we would've benefited from having more time to consider all of the things that were presented to us and the information, with respect to the guidelines, ultimately what we had just deferred," says Harris Cohn, DDRC commissioner.
Cohn spoke out during the meeting, after commissioners came back from their executive session.
An attorney for Trinitas Ventures says they gave commissioners a letter, explaining their concern with the January 9th vote.
"Those are that the vote was based on a mistake of fact and was affected by procedural deficiencies in that the commission took into consideration use of the property," says Lindy Bryant, attorney for Trinitas Ventures.
Residents in the University Hill neighborhood voiced their concerns about Friday's vote. They explained that the project would have a great impact on their neighborhood.
Senator Dick Harpootlian, who represents the University Hill Neighborhood Association and also lives in that area, says he was concerned by the way Friday's vote went about and says there needs to be more transparency.
"The problem I see is that somebody approached one of these commissioners and asked for a motion to rescind, raising issues. We don't know what they are, whether they are right or not right, accurate or inaccurate, and they voted to rescind," says Harpootlian, D-Richland. "This is going to be high rise student housing in the middle of a residential neighborhood. I got to say we are tired of the student cars in this neighborhood and the students."
The DDRC will hold a public hearing in March, where they are expected to again vote on whether or not to approve the student housing project.
