City Beat: City Council tables commercial development plan

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Homeowners from the Southeast Springfield Neighborhood Association were out in force at the Aug. 12 City Council meeting to oppose proposed commercial development near their homes, only to see the matter tabled until Sept. 23.|ret||ret||tab|

The bill before council was a request to rezone more than 17 acres on the east side of the 2400-2700 blocks of South Lone Pine Avenue from a single-family residential district to a planned development district. |ret||ret||tab|

Owners of the property, John Q. Hammons and Lee McLean, would like to develop a funeral home and low-rise offices there, but the homeowners oppose the development. The neighborhood association would like to purchase the land to secure its use as a natural area. |ret||ret||tab|

Apparently the developers have heard their cries. Attorney Craig Lowther, representing Hammons and McLean, requested a 30-day extension to negotiate a sales offer with the neighborhood association. Lowther said the offer asks for $25,000 an acre, an under-market value, but does not include the five acres needed to build a new Greenlawn Funeral Home.|ret||ret||tab|

"We'd like to postpone it and give them a chance to look at it, digest it and hopefully look upon it favorably," Lowther said. |ret||ret||tab|

It will be revisited at the Sept. 23 council meeting because the Sept. 9 meeting has been cancelled. |ret||ret||tab|

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Nov. 5 ballot |ret||ret||tab|

Knowing that the alcohol-in-parks issue would be placed on the Nov. 5 ballot with or without their approval, council unanimously voted to send it to ballot. |ret||ret||tab|

However, before doing so Councilman Ralph Manley stated his opinion: "This is a type of thing I am not in accord with. I'm glad it's going to a vote of the people. Certainly this is the democratic process, (but) I do not wish to see liquor in the parks at all. I am hopeful that the voters can make a prudent decision and not allow this in the parks." |ret||ret||tab|

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Government Plaza |ret||ret||tab|

A public hearing bill would rezone the Government Plaza to make way for a multistory office building and parking deck, and accompanying retail space. The 10-acre plaza is bounded by Chestnut Expressway, Central Street and Boonville and Jefferson avenues. It is zoned for government and institutional use. |ret||ret||tab|

The bill would make it a center city district to allow retail development without use permits. Zoning Administrator Andy Furedy said government-and-institutional zoning requires conditional use permits for retail applicants, which slows down the development process. |ret||ret||tab|

Some of the retail purposes could be a dry cleaner, drug store or coffee shop on the ground level of the parking garage and within the office building.|ret||ret||tab|

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Business in question |ret||ret||tab|

Joseph Ruane, owner of Classic Coachworks Inc., has asked council to amend the planned development zoning at 1710 S. Kansas Ave., the new location for his new and used car sales lot. As it stands, it is operating illegally.|ret||ret||tab|

The Planning & Zoning Commission recommended denial because "the existing car lot on this property is illegal," said Furedy. He said car lots are usually in a highway commercial district. |ret||ret||tab|

Geoffrey Butler of architects Butler, Rosenbury & Partners represented Ruane. |ret||ret||tab|

"We did not realize that small used car lots were going to be relegated to highway commercial uses," he said. "We have small used car lots all over the place. A used car lot is a low-traffic situation." |ret||ret||tab|

Butler added that Ruane would make all the necessary changes to lot lighting and landscaping to meet city code. |ret||ret||tab|

However, Mayor Tom Carlson was not at ease with the issue. "I find it somewhat troubling that somebody goes in and uses the property illegally and continues to do that, and then asks us to make what they're doing legal." |ret||ret||tab|

Ruane purchased the building from Assemblies of God, he told council, understanding that it could be used for auto sales and service. |ret||ret||tab|

He has been in business since 1995 and moved the lot from 1710 E. Sunshine St. The new location in Elfindale Centre was formerly a Maid-Rite restaurant that went out of business. |ret||ret||tab|

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