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Doug Burlison votes against TLC's zoning due to stormwater concerns.
Doug Burlison votes against TLC's zoning due to stormwater concerns.

City Beat: Council forwards TLC's Abbey expansion

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Score seven for development and two against a south-side apartment expansion.

At the Aug. 18 Springfield City Council meeting, council members voted 7-2 in favor of amending a planned development at The Abbey Apartments and approving 33 new units at the 1530 E. Erie St. complex.

Council approval allows apartment owner TLC Properties to build a $2.5 million, three-story structure despite neighbors’ concerns it would increase flooding problems downhill and reduce property values. Councilmen Doug Burlison and Craig Hosmer voted against the zoning change.

During an Aug. 4 public hearing, three neighbors, who live to the south and downhill of The Abbey, said significant rain events routinely produce flooding. The neighbors also expressed concern over increased traffic and reduced privacy.

TLC’s plans would bring the number of units at The Abbey to 364. The original planned development allowed up to 350 units.

At the public hearing, Springfield stormwater engineer Rodney Colson told council he visited the apartments in mid-July after a rain event and saw some obstructions in place preventing water flow into the regional detention area to the west of the apartments. He said TLC management addressed the issue and removed the blockages.

Brett Stevens, a developer representative and project architect for H Design Group, said TLC Properties would work to minimize flooding in the area. Following city codes, he said the new structure would not be permitted to increase the flow of stormwater runoff toward its neighbors.

After council’s vote, TLC Properties founder Sam E. Coryell said construction on The Abbey could begin within six months and take another six months to finish. He said the company currently is focused on beginning two other projects: the 130-unit Coryell Commons on East Monastery Street and the $10 million Township 28 complex in Galloway Village.

Coryell said the family’s Coryell Enterprises Inc. would serve as general contractor for the projects, though The Abbey addition – funded through a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development loan – could require a different builder to meet HUD specifications. He said Build LLC could be the general contractor on the project should HUD not approve Coryell Enterprises.

“Taking that big of a loan out is like going to the dentist for a root canal, only with HUD there’s no Novocain,” Coryell said.

He added many of the residents of The Abbey are ages 55 and older, helping the property developers and managers secure the HUD financing.

Coryell said construction on Township 28 – a project forwarded by his son and TLC Executive Director Sam M. Coryell – and Coryell Commons is expected to begin next month.

Cell towers on hold
The next generation of utility poles and pole attachments in Springfield is on hold after a unanimous council vote.

Council tabled a bill that would allow City Utilities to contract with wireless service providers and use CU poles to fill coverage gaps for their customers through small-cell transmitting technology.

During an Aug. 4 public hearing, Todd Murren, director of CU’s SpringNet Broadband, said cell towers only are allowed in certain areas, and he has worked with Chris Straw of Springfield Building Development Services to develop a way to offer companies a chance to fill service gaps without being intrusive to neighborhoods. The result is a bill that would allow new, and potentially larger, utility poles capable of hosting multiple telecommunications companies’ small-cell transmitters.  

According to Murren, CU has allowed pole attachments with cable TV and phone providers since the 1970s, and the small-cell transmitters simply represent the latest in technology. He said CU would construct and maintain the poles with money generated through leasing space to telecommunications companies.

Before the bill was tabled last week for further council review, Councilman Jeff Seifried moved to amend it. The proposed amendment, according to Seifried, is designed to ensure that one company couldn’t use transmitting technology on the poles that would effectively shut out other carriers from utilizing the same pole.

Since the poles with wireless attachments have to be at least 400 feet apart, according to the ordinance, Seifried said he wants to establish a fair playing field.

“The amendment allows all companies to be able to participate in this, and [would] not allow one company to basically monopolize the situation,” Seifried said, adding the amendment was drafted after conversations with CU and AT&T representatives.

But what he introduced seemed to be a mix of confusion and defensive caution.

Councilman Hosmer said the amendment might completely change the bill.

“It seems like this is something we should all have a chance to look at,” Hosmer said before proposing to table the measure. “To me, it changes the complexion of this bill.”

Councilwoman Cindy Rushefsky agreed.

“I would tend to support the amendment. However, this is a fairly complex issue,” Rushefsky said. “I think it would set a very bad precedent and border on irresponsible for us, regardless of how we feel about the original bill, to (vote) right now. So, I think tabling it is a very smart move.”

The bill and amendment could be reintroduced at council’s next meeting scheduled for Sept. 8.  

Vandivort right-of-way
In the unanimously approved consent agenda items, council signed off on a special ordinance allowing developers of Hotel Vandivort to receive an encroachment license to erect lighting fixtures on the city’s right-of-way.

The former office property at 305 E. Walnut St. is being renovated into a boutique hotel by siblings Billy and John McQueary via MBH LLC. The license allows the developer to install the fixtures – called bollards – along Robberson Avenue at the northwest entrance to the hotel.

MBH last November secured a 25-year tax abatement on property improvements as the McQuearys turn the office and theater building into a 50-unit hotel.[[In-content Ad]]

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