YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
A cluster development originally proposed in April 2022 got the go-ahead from Springfield City Council at its Aug. 19 meeting.
The Reed Avenue Cottages project, to be located on 4.7 acres of undeveloped land near Lake Springfield, was first proposed by the Katy A. St. George Revocable Trust in February 2022. That plat was later approved by council, but approval expired after two years.
The renewal was brought to council by a new ownership group, Milton at Reed Road LLC, which looks to build 22 semidetached townhomes just west of the Olde Ivy subdivision. The plans are mostly unchanged from the earlier incarnation, though a delay was caused by the discovery of a spring on the property.
Under the city’s criteria for cluster developments, the lots are permitted to be smaller than the 6,000 square feet typically required in single-family residential zones. The Reed Avenue Cottages would be on lots averaging 4,000 square feet, according to the proposal.
The city code has many specialized requirements for cluster developments; among these are open space or common area land to be preserved and maintained for public purposes. Cluster developments must be in harmony with the city’s comprehensive plan and may not adversely affect the character of the neighborhood. Additionally, they must not cause the loss or damage of any natural feature.
Councilmember Brandon Jenson said that he would reluctantly vote in favor of the development, but he outlined some reservations he had after studying the city code and his college textbooks. Jenson has a degree in urban, community and regional planning, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Jenson said city code talks about the purpose of cluster development, which is to encourage ingenuity and originality in site design to preserve open space while leveraging densities that otherwise would not have been allowed.
He said cluster developments prioritize permanent open space and yield the same number of units as a conventional development through the use of narrow, compact lots.
While the measure being considered was the renewal of a previously improved development, he said neighbor concerns remain.
At the Aug. 5 meeting and public hearing for the measure, one area property owner, Bruce Adib-Yazdi, a developer, called himself an advocate of the use of the cluster ordinance, but said he thought this project would set a bad precedent. He added that common areas would not be accessible because they are all in drainage areas.
Jenson echoed the concern.
“What we have is essentially a typical single-family subdivision that’s just been truncated to only develop on the portion of the property that’s actually developable,” he said.
He said the result is wall-to-wall development and the clear-cutting of a majority of the property, including significant stands of well-established trees.
To its credit, however, he said the proposal works with the slope of the property and preserves the natural elements of a portion of the property.
“When I look at this, in my professional experience, I see a proposal which does not necessarily employ ingenuity in site design but does respect at least the bare minimum of the site’s existing conditions,” he said.
While the project meets the letter of the law, he said, it does not meet its intent. He asked that staff include cluster developments in future code updates to better inform future projects.
Councilmember Craig Hosmer offered the sole vote against the measure for a 7-1 result, with Heather Hardinger absent.
Rezoning denied
Council voted down a rezoning of 5.4 acres at 817 W. El Camino Alto Drive, where applicant Ridge HZ55 LLC, wishing to build a senior living facility, sought a redesignation to an office district from low-residency multifamily residential.
On behalf of the owner, David Bodeen told 21 members in attendance at a June neighborhood meeting that multiple single-story buildings were planned for the west 400 feet of the site. The Quail Creek neighborhood abuts the property to the east.
Three council members – Mayor Ken McClure, Callie Carroll and Derek Lee – recused themselves from the vote.
That left five voting members of council, and one of them, Hosmer, voted no, killing the measure.
For Hosmer, the matter came down to a buffer that would go between the development and the residential property it would abut.
Planning Manager Bob Hosmer clarified that an overlay district included in the plan called for a 15-foot buffer yard with plantings.
Craig Hosmer said the city does not enforce its buffer requirements.
The councilmember said neighborhoods don’t trust the city, which tells them there will be specific kinds of trees and fences to protect the residential neighborhood.
“And then the development goes into place and nobody checks it again, and we don’t enforce it,” he said. “There are dead trees in developments all over town that are next to neighborhoods.”
Craig Hosmer said council had been talking about primary enforcement for years, and it doesn’t happen.
“Why should neighbors ever want to support a development in Springfield if we don’t enforce our own laws?” he said. “I’m almost to the point to not vote for any of these things.”
With the recusals and absence of other council members, Hosmer’s objection to the buffer portion of the plan was enough to tank it despite three votes in favor.
Other action items
Bambinos Cafe is getting a refresh. The goal of the project is to expand the parking lot, dining areas and kitchen of the Phelps Grove neighborhood eatery.
