Businesspeople respond to 'Growth in the Heartland'

While the Brookings Institution's "Growth in the Heartland" report provides useful data, the interpretation of that data isn't 100 percent on target, according to local businesspeople.

First impressions

Cold data doesn't tell the whole story, according Fred May, director of Springfield Planning and Development. "When we had some individual conversations with (Brookings) representatives, they felt pretty good about some of the things we were doing in this area that aren't necessarily reflected by that data."

However, May feels the report does make some valid recommendations, such as revamping state planning laws, which are based on the 1920s Model Planning Act and have changed little over time.

Jim Anderson, president of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, said the report is "useful in the sense that it challenges folks to do better planning. And I think we can always do better and more planning."

Matt Morrow, executive officer of the Home Builders Association of Springfield, said he is dubious both of the credibility of the report and of the Brookings Institution.

During Brookings' year-long study on growth and develop-ment in Missouri, Morrow said, "the first trip that they made to the fastest growing part of the state was to announce their findings."

He added, "I think that there's very clearly an agenda here, and that agenda is to make the same announcement in Missouri that this group makes everywhere else it goes, which is that urban sprawl is out of control and that something drastic needs to be done quickly."

Sprawl

"There's no question that, especially in Christian County and other areas ... we're seeing some sprawl, if I can use that term. But I think we are doing infill like we've never done before. I think we have a focus, a commitment to do infill like we've not had for many years," Anderson said.

"In my opinion, managed growth is basically what we have occurring in our area. That is, at the same time we're perhaps growing out, we're also growing inward," Anderson said, referring to center-city development.

There are two philosophies on growth, Morrow said. "One is, do you accept growth and plan for it? The other is, do you try in vain, in my opinion to restrict growth? Fortunately, our communities take the view that growth will happen and we need to plan for it."

Planned growth is the city of Springfield's goal.

"We have the urban service area concept and we have what I would call planned growth," May said.

But sprawl is an issue to watch.

"I think our biggest concern, and I'm not speaking to the region so much as I am the Springfield/Greene County area, are the larger lot developments that are farther out," May said. "You start seeing that and it does create kind of a ring where its going to be difficult for the urban area to really develop."

The key is to strike a balance between conservation and revitalization of existing neighborhoods and new development, May added.

With new development, what's essential "is that we're in a position to deal with it, that it's not just going all over the landscape, and that it is within an area we have defined as our planned growth area."

Reality vs. report

Anderson said that, like most studies, the Brookings report is "a snapshot in time," and "a lot's happened just in the last six months" that isn't reflected in the report.

Morrow agreed, noting that the report "fails to consider the highly effective and fairly recent planning and development efforts that have been undertaken in the fast-growing parts of the state, for example, Springfield."

Also, Morrow said, while the report indicates people are abandoning the city for the suburbs, the report's statistics don't back that up.

What the numbers say is that, while the city is growing, the areas outside the city are growing faster.

"There's more land outside the city limits, there's also more demand for housing outside the city limits.

However, it's false to say that people are abandoning the city for the suburbs when the city population is increasing," Morrow said.

The way the report characterizes growth in unincorporated parts of Greene County does not consider the planning in place, May noted.

"Most of the growth in Greene County is really associated with Springfield in the sense that it is in the urban service area." According to city staff, the population in the urban service area is almost 195,000 people versus 151,000 in the city of Springfield.

Total housing units are over 86,000 in the urban service area versus about 64,000 in the city.

Those numbers "could be considered Springfield growth, whereas in the cold numbers that the Brookings had, that was considered rural growth," May said.

Infrastructure

In regard to infrastructure, and particularly road construction, "The report I think was a little nave and idealistic in saying that we're just extending infrastructure without a need or without a cause," Anderson said.

"I think not too many people extend sewer lines or build roads and bridges and highways to nowhere. They do it because the demand is there."

The report was critical of the Missouri Department of Transportation's recent emphasis on new roads versus road maintenance, but "I think MoDOT recognizes that they do need to look more closely at preserving what they have," May said.

Cooperation

One of the report's recommendations was that the state seek regional solutions to growth issues.

There are a number of efforts already under way to do just that in southwest Missouri, including the Ozarks Regional Economic Partnership, the Southwest Missouri Council of Governments, and the Springfield Metropolitan Planning Organization.

"We now, in 10 counties, have 60 cities, counties and chambers who are part of our regional effort who have signed the Ozarks Regional Economic Partnership agreement," Anderson said.

While the chamber is dealing with regional issues from an economic development standpoint, the Southwest Missouri Council of Governments brings area leaders to the table to discuss a variety of common issues, May said.

Also, the Springfield Metropolitan Planning Organization has been expanded to "pretty much most of the Springfield urbanizing area Nixa, Ozark, northern Christian County, the larger communities Strafford, Willard, Republic, Battlefield all are part of that organization," May said.

"We've also had discussions with the surrounding communities to look at where is each community's growth area, where is their urban service area, so to speak."

Future growth

In next five years, May said, "I would hope that we continue in the same vein that we've seen development since about 1985, which is the city and the county cooperating on providing urban services within the areas we've designated as growth areas and not really going beyond that."

Growth certainly doesn't appear to be slowing. Housing starts in 2002 are up in Greene County and the city of Springfield, Morrow said.

"I don't have the final number, but it looks like its going to be in the ballpark of 20 percent over last year, and last year was up close to that over the year before."