Council opens door for Hy-Vee on Sunshine

Springfield City Council last night advanced plans for a $12.7 million expansive grocery store on East Sunshine Street despite pleas from nearby residents who wanted to maintain the character of their neighborhood.

Council voted 7-1 in favor of rezoning the 2100 block of East Sunshine to general retail from single-family residential, paving the way for Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee Inc.’s second store in Springfield.

A majority of council appeared swayed by arguments from a handful of speakers at the Oct. 22 public hearing that called for city leaders to send a message to the development community that the city is open for business. Several business owners and developer representatives warned council members that the city’s reputation was on the line if a zoning change on a major thoroughfare wasn’t approved. However, 21 of the 33 speakers at the public hearing opposed the plans, arguing the 85,000-square-foot store posed noise, safety and flooding issues and would likely decrease property values in the 60-year-old neighborhood just south of the proposed site.

Councilman Jerry Compton said the rezoning is in line with Springfield’s comprehensive development plan, and by filling in a vacant lot within the city limits, the move supports local taxes without stretching city services.

“Planning and zoning [actions] should be used to promote orderly growth, not prevent development,” Compton said.

Councilman Scott Bailes, the only council member to vote against the zoning change, said he had lived in the nearby neighborhood for about a dozen years, and he felt someone needed to fight for the residents’ interest.

“We’re supposed to protect residents,” Bailes said, holding a roughly 3-inch stack of letters from residents asking him to vote against the Hy-Vee proposal.

Bailes said he felt the Hy-Vee would hurt property values and steal business from other area grocery stores.

Councilman Doug Burlison said it was important for council to “send the right message” to the development community. He said if businesses meet the requirements of city planners, work with neighbors to address concerns and receive approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission, they ought to be able to build in Springfield.

“Most of us were elected on the promise of doing what we can to create jobs,” Burlison said. “The city’s reputation is in jeopardy here.”

At the Oct. 22 meeting, Peter Hosch, assistant vice president of real estate for Hy-Vee, said the company has agreed to erect a 6-foot-tall fence between the store and neighbors on Washita Street, increase the buffer zone and work to save existing trees on the property, a concern of several neighbors. He said Hy-Vee plans to hire 100 full-time and nearly 300 part-time workers for the store. Currently, Hy-Vee is negotiating a 10.5-acre land purchase with Jewell Schweitzer, who said last month the sale of the vacant and wooded property just west of the Commerce Terrace office complex could move forward after zoning approval.

A year ago, Hy-Vee opened its first Springfield location – a $17 million, 86,000-square-foot store on 14 acres at Kansas Expressway and Battlefield Road for which council supported a community improvement district that assesses a 1/2-cent sales tax to fund infrastructure improvements. The company has not sought development incentives in its latest proposal, said Springfield Economic Development Director Mary Lilly Smith.