Council rezones 90 acres on south side

Springfield City Council voted 5-3 during its meeting last night in favor of granting a south-side rezoning request for developer Curtis Jared.

Council members Cindy Rushefsky, Jan Fisk and Craig Hosmer voted against the proposal.

The move allows Jared to create a 40-acre office district and 52-acre general retail district to shop to potential tenants. During the public hearings leading up to the vote, nearby residents expressed oppositions to street connections to their neighborhoods.

Ultimately, the approved bill includes an amendment passed during the Oct. 13 meeting to remove street extensions into the Wellington Hills neighborhood and to provide for only firefighter access into the Quail Creek subdivision at West Buena Vista Street. Further, Councilman Jeff Seifried proposed an amendment at that meeting to allow public access to the road once development on the west end of Quail Creek can extend Buena Vista to Kansas Expressway. The passed amendment extended the rezoning proposal to the Oct. 27 meeting to allow for additional public comment.

Last night, Quail Creek residents expressed discontent at the idea of the subdivision being opened up to commercial traffic.

“I’m in favor of rezoning the property to the east commercial. I’m opposed to anything that would push commercial traffic through the subdivision,” said resident Peter Plavchan, an assistant professor of astronomy at Missouri State University.

Jared, CEO of commercial property manager Jared Enterprises, maintained his position that he only ever included connector streets to appease city planning staff.

“Road, no road, toll road, I don’t care, I just want the rezoning,” he said last night.[[In-content Ad]]