Over 90 acres of prime property in south Springfield could soon be under development.
City Council approved developer Curtis Jared’s rezoning request 5-3 at its Oct. 27 meeting, paving the way for a 40-acre office district and a 52-acre general retail district south of James River Freeway and Campbell Avenue.
During the public hearings leading up to the vote, nearby residents expressed oppositions to street connections to their neighborhoods.
Council members Cindy Rushefsky, Jan Fisk and Craig Hosmer voted against the proposal.
The approved bill includes an amendment passed during the Oct. 13 meeting to remove street extensions into the Wellington Hills neighborhood and to provide only firefighter access into the Quail Creek subdivision at West Buena Vista Street.
Also, Councilman Jeff Seifried proposed an amendment at that meeting to allow public access to the road once development on the west end of Quail Creek can extend Buena Vista to Kansas Expressway. The passed amendment extended the rezoning proposal to the Oct. 27 meeting to allow for additional public comment.
Last week, Quail Creek residents continued to express discontent at the idea of the subdivision being opened up to commercial traffic.
“I’m in favor of rezoning the property to the east commercial. I’m opposed to anything that would push commercial traffic through the subdivision,” said resident Peter Plavchan, an assistant professor of astronomy at Missouri State University.
Jared, CEO of commercial property manager Jared Enterprises, maintains he only included connector streets to appease city planners.
“Road, no road, toll road – I don’t care. I just want the rezoning,” he said.
The bill has been kicked around council chambers since Sept. 22, when it was introduced and 15 of 19 speakers opposed the plan as proposed by Ward Branch Trust et al.
The newly zoned property sits south of the 63-acre James River Commons development home to Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market and Academy Sports.
On Sept. 4, the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission heard from 15 concerned neighbors before voting 6-1 in favor of rezoning – with one abstaining and one not in attendance – with the condition that there be no connectivity between the office district and the Quail Creek subdivision, according to P&Z records.
This installment of Springfield Business Journal’s Architects & Engineers Project Report showcases 26 endeavors by area design and engineering professionals.
