City Beat: Commercial Street construction moratorium OK'd

Springfield City Council passed a resolution May 4 to create a one-year administrative delay on new construction in the Commercial Street Historic District.

City Planning and Development Director Ralph Rognstad said city staff is considering changes to the Commercial Street Strategy for Success, passed in 2006, dealing mostly with allowable uses and building restrictions.

"It's currently zoned center city just like downtown," Rognstad told council. "But Commercial Street is a lot different from downtown, and we feel we could make some changes that help preserve that special character."

Specifically, Rognstad said the delay was prompted in part by plans from Victory Mission to build a hostel on Commercial to serve the homeless. The nonprofit group, which operates Cook's Kettle restaurant on Commercial Street, hopes to move its housing for homeless men from Grant Beach neighborhood to the planned Commercial Street hostel.

Rognstad said the delay is based on the fact that the city needs to conduct a study, because there is currently no city definition of a hostel.

But the delay is not going over so well with Victory Mission. Executive Director Jim Harriger said he feels the delay is aimed squarely at his organization.

"Since I have no knowledge of any other proposed building projects in the area covered by this ordinance, nor have I found anyone else who has such knowledge, I feel that this ordinance directly challenges what we are working on," Harriger said.

He noted that while a one-year delay wouldn't have much impact on his project, since fundraising is in the very early stages, he hopes there is more reason behind the delay than just stopping Victory Mission's planned hostel - which would meet current zoning regulations.

"I hope that this council would see a more pressing need for this moratorium than just stopping the vision of a nonprofit ministry. If there is, I support it," he said. "I also promise that I will gladly participate in the study and meetings and hearings where there is fair and meaningful dialogue."

Mary Collette, a Commercial Street property owner and former councilwoman, said the delay is necessary regardless of who's behind the project.

"I think this (delay) would have been moved forward by anyone making plans for a large new structure to be built in that area," she said. "Drive through there and tell me when the last time something new was built. ... That area is special because nothing has been built there."

Mayor Jim O'Neal said that while he voted for the administrative delay, he worried about the implications.

"Quite frankly, if there's an end run to try to prohibit what the (Victory Mission) wants to do through some kind of rezoning, I'll do everything I can to stop it," he said. "Let's not bait and switch."

Councilwoman Cindy Rushefsky said the conflict between business owners and social service providers was inevitable given the city's previous approach to the issue.

"We pushed our social services out to what we thought was the far reaches of the city, where they would be out of sight and out of mind," she said. "Then, the city discovered Commercial Street and decided, rightly, that this place had wonderful historic buildings that we could do something positive with. I would hope that both sides will talk to each other in good faith and try to find some resolution that keeps Commercial Street moving forward."

Compton to council

Council selected Jerome Compton, former chairman of the Planning & Zoning Commission and current member of the city's personnel board, to fill the Zone 3 seat vacated when Ralph Manley resigned in April.

Compton, an architect, was chosen over finalists Dan Scott and Jeremy Cady after all three were asked the same four questions:

• How much knowledge do you have about the economic development tools available to the city and how do you see them being used?

• What are the most important issues for Zone 3 now, and do you see any differences between issues facing Zone 3 and the rest of the city?

• Using the assumption that the Police and Fire pension issue has been resolved, what priorities do you think council should set for the next five to 10 years?

• What experience and skills do you bring to strengthen this current council's makeup?

Compton said that, while Zone 3 is fairly representative of the city as a whole, basic services and infrastructure were the most important issues facing the city over the next several years.

Councilman Dan Chiles, one of six council members who voted for Compton, said it was Compton's experience that sealed the deal.

"We lost a couple of people who had extensive experience with planning and zoning issues, and none of us on this current board have that kind of experience," Chiles said before the vote. "Mr. Compton is proficient with the work of the planning commission as well as how the population reacts to planning issues."

Compton will be sworn in at council's May 18 meeting.[[In-content Ad]]