City Beat: Airport board seeks land condemnation for expansion

by Eric Olson

SBJ Reporter

eolson@sbj.net

Springfield city officials came to a clear conclusion at City Council's April 26 meeting: Houses at the end of an airport runway are not a good idea. Still under debate, however, is what to do with 160 acres north of the airport that are slated for residences.

Springfield-Branson Regional Airport board members would like authority to acquire the land adjacent to the airport for expansion purposes. A first reading bill at the meeting requested condemnation powers should negotiations fail.

But property owner Paul Sidio of Emerald Springs Properties LLC said full attempts to negotiate with him have not been made, leaving no reason to condemn the property. Sidio acquired the property from a trust held by Bank of America March 19 and has created 16 10-acre tracts for residential development.

The property is on the airport's master plan for acquisition for future development, and would be very close to a planned runway extension.

"Houses at the end of a runway are going to be a problem," City Manager Tom Finnie said. "We are concerned that if we don't acquire this land and it does get developed ... people will be back in these chambers saying they didn't know anything about it."

Sidio's attorney, whom he brought to the meeting, said typical protocol, such as a new certified appraisal and negotiations with the owner, has not been followed.

"I think we need to look a little bit further into whether the procedures are properly being followed," said attorney Patricia Keck.

Keck said the airport board made an offer by mail April 9 for the amount that Sidio paid for the property. The offer, she said, was based on an old appraisal made when the land was agricultural. She would not disclose the price and Sidio could not be reached by press time.

Keck said Sidio responded to the airport's letter requesting a new appraisal so discussion could continue.

No airport officials spoke at the meeting.

Sidio has sold two 10-acre parcels and has been contacted by other interested buyers. He has put negotiations on hold, and is awaiting a call from an airport official.

"It's no surprise we don't have an agreement. They haven't called us," Sidio said at the meeting. "We're businesspeople. This is what we do for a living. We're selling our property at fair market value."

Finnie said the condemnation process would not start without council approval.

Sidio said he acquired the land unaware of the airport's expansion plans.

"I find that kind of interesting because it's been in the media for over a year," said Councilman Conrad Griggs.

Weaver Road relocation

Officials with the city of Springfield, Greene County and Missouri Department of Transportation are working out a deal to relocate a south Springfield intersection in order to improve its safety. But a property owner at the intersection says he doesn't see the need.

MoDOT has approved plans for a more northern Weaver Road and Campbell Ave. intersection, which is located about one mile south of James River Freeway. A cost-sharing agreement between the city, county and state needs to be reached before crews can begin the more than $6 million project. If City Council approves the funding plan, the cost would be evenly split three ways. The bill was first read April 26.

But Willard resident Mike Ward would like to put a stop to the process. Ward's mother owns acreage at the intersection's northwest corner. The land has been in the Ward family since the 1800s, Ward told council at the April 26 meeting.

"We don't want this piece of our land broken up," he said, then he had a few questions for council: "Does this Weaver Road really need to be widened? Is this the only way it can be done? What can we do with that land now?"

Officials with Pet Warehouse, the closest business to the intersection, were unaware of the proposed changes when phoned April 29.

"I am now," said Terry Lewis, operations manager for General Pet Inc., which owns six area Pet Warehouse locations. "It certainly would not help our business. I can see that from the onset."

Changing the roads would limit access from Campbell. However, Lewis agrees something needs to be done.

"There's been a couple deaths in the last couple years," he added. "That stop light is very dangerous."

Springfield Public Works Director Marc Thornsberry said an outer road, now only 50 feet from Campbell, would be rerouted west 1,000 feet. The outer road has been known to clog traffic and cause accidents.

"Moving the outer road back will provide, we think, better access to the businesses and certainly will address the safety and traffic concerns," he said.

Springfield officials do not expect to begin accepting bids until 2007, Finnie said. MoDOT's expense is capped at $2,045,178, while the city and county would cover any cost overruns. Springfield's share would be funded with $1 million from its 1/8-cent sales tax program and a $1,045,178 federal grant.