City Beat: City's Jordan Valley Park bill rises by $660,000

The city of Springfield will pay Thompson-Pontiac-Cadillac-GMC an additional $660,000 for the purchase of the car dealership's former location at 727 St. Louis St., now part of Jordan Valley Park.

Council unanimously approved the payment at its April 22 meeting.

The increase is due to the state Su-preme Court order of a new jury trial in the condemnation suit.

An amount of $2,543,000 has already been awarded to the Thompsons through court action.

"This simply complies to that state law requirement," City Manager Tom Finnie told council.

Finnie said the new trial may take place this fall.

Larino Properties

The approved rezoning of about 37 acres at South West Bypass and Chestnut Avenue paves the way for a retail development on Springfield's west side.

At the preceding council meeting, property owner Larino Properties LLC showed council a drawing of the planned development, which will be anchored by a 95,000-square-foot retail store.

Councilman Denny Whayne thinks it will spur other development in the area.

"We're on the right track," he said. "I appreciate Mr. Larino and his people for wanting to develop on the west side of Springfield."

Cox plan OK'd

More than 30 acres of Cox Health Systems' property on East Primrose Street, next to Kickapoo High School, was rezoned to facilitate future growth for the hospital.

But before getting unanimous appro-val, Wylie amended the bill so the projects would not affect the neighbors to the north of the property.

Cox Health Systems Executive Vice President Bob Bezanson said the amendment was a good solution. He also said the master plan soon will come before City Council for public record, as previously requested by council.

Ice park parking

An increase in downtown activities ap-parently is putting a pinch on some parking space.

Council heard a first reading bill that would limit parking in the Jordan Valley Ice Park lot to ice park patrons. Finnie said the lot was constructed to accommodate only ice park events.

"The good news is that activities downtown are booming," Finnie added. "The bad news is that they've rode into the ice park parking lot. We have a lot of people coming downtown for other things that are parking in the ice park parking lot."

He said city staff didn't foresee that, and this ordinance would legally reserve the lot for ice park visitors. It also would allow the city to rent the lot for nearby events that do not conflict with ice park operations.

City, OTC split costs

Another first reading bill would authorize Finnie to enter into an agreement with Ozarks Technical Community College to share construction costs for stormwater improvements and a bridge replacement south of Central Street and west of Sherman Avenue.

Emergency animal impoundment

In response to an episode last summer in which two dogs died of heat exhaustion while locked inside a vehicle, council heard an ordinance that would give animal control officers with the Spring-field-Greene County Health Department authority to take into custody animals found in similar conditions.

"This would give us legal authority to see that doesn't happen again," Finnie said.