# Board of Zoning Appeals | October 1, 2026

The City of Columbia Board of Zoning Appeals met on October 1, 2026. The board voted to enter executive session for legal advice concerning a pending claim or other privileged matters, then returned to the regular agenda. It considered variance application 2026-000021-V for a screened porch built without a permit at 8 Frances Fair Court. The applicant cited privacy and safety concerns; neighbors offered differing accounts of a longstanding dispute. Staff noted that approval would not eliminate the requirement to obtain a permit or make any building-code upgrades. The transcript is garbled around the board’s findings and motion, so the variance’s final disposition cannot be confirmed.

The board also considered special-exception application 2026-000025-SE for an accessory drive-through coffee shop at 940 Broad River Road, on a site with an existing Family Dollar store. Members raised questions about architectural details, pedestrian access, vehicle stacking, and potential traffic and circulation effects. A motion was started to defer the application pending additional information, including on standards A, D, F, and G, with a traffic study suggested as potentially helpful; the transcript does not capture a final motion or vote. No procurement, contract award, or spending decision was identified.

**Published:** October 01, 2026