City Beat: O’Reilly Automotive seeks HQ expansion

Springfield City Council on May 2 considered a rezoning bill to usher in expansion plans for O’Reilly Automotive Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ORLY) corporate headquarters.

The Springfield-based national auto parts retailer requested council shift the heavy manufacturing zoning on 2.6 acres in the 500 block of South Barnes Avenue to allow for general offices. Existing zoning only allows for commercial parking on the property. The zoning request was submitted by O’Reilly Automotive Stores Inc.

“This is so O’Reilly can expand their existing office building,” Springfield Planning and Development Director Mary Lilly Smith told council members during the public hearing. “They’re still going to be primarily oriented toward Patterson, but it’s going to come over onto this lot a little bit. They need this rezoning to permit expansion of the corporate offices, which is a great thing from an economic development perspective.”

O’Reilly officials did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

Springfield’s Planning and Zoning Commission on April 14 unanimously recommended approval of O’Reilly’s rezoning request.

The land is part of some 45 adjacent acres O’Reilly owns for offices and warehouses. The total taxable appraised value of company-owned property in the area is $20.65 million, according to Greene County assessor records.

O’Reilly built its 117,000-square-foot headquarters in 2010, designed to consolidate 600 employees scattered throughout several Springfield office buildings, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

Councilman Craig Fishel noted previous flooding issues on the corner of Barnes and Cherry. An attachment in the bill addresses stormwater issues, indicating the property is located in the Jordan Creek South Branch drainage basin. City staff is aware of flooding problems, and water detention preparations would be required if the land is developed, according to the bill.

There were no other speakers during the public hearing.

O’Reilly officials held a neighborhood meeting March 7, during which they agreed to limit the land use to general offices.

The current traffic volume on Barnes Avenue is 4,900 vehicles per day and Cherry Street is 8,200 vehicles per day, according to Public Works’ Traffic Division.

A second reading and vote is expected at the May 16 council meeting.

Alcohol at events
Council unanimously approved a measure to allow alcohol sales at up to 10 city festivals, starting with Artsfest held May 7-8 on Walnut Street. Others permitted to sell alcohol this year are the June 3-4 Over the Edge fundraiser for Child Advocacy Center; First Friday on the Square events, June 3 and Sept. 2; Springfield Craft Beer Bash, July 30; Birthplace of Route 66 Festival, Aug. 12-14; three events planned Oct. 7-8: Springfield Jazz Festival, Taste of Springfield and Oktoberfest; and an event yet to be determined on Commercial Street. Last year, eight events were permitted to sell alcohol.

The expansion is valid through Dec. 31, and proposals for additional years are required.

Self-service storage
Among a handful of rezoning bills, council considered a conditional-use permit for a self-storage facility at 506 W. Edgewood St.

Mark Hunter owns the vacant property in a general retail district, and he plans to build about 20 storage units, said Rick Wilson of Wilson Surveying Co., who represented Hunter at the meeting.

“This is our best effort to bring this property into production,” Wilson told council, noting for 30 years a homebuilder stored a mobile office trailer on the roughly one-third-acre gravel lot. “It’s a difficult site to develop. We’ve been dealing with the nuances of a small lot at the end of a private drive.”

Access to the property is from Campbell Avenue north of Sunset, and the drive runs alongside La Quinta Inn & Suites, 2535 S. Campbell Ave.

Neighborhoods are located immediately to the west, but Wilson said the nearest home is 50 feet away. Hunter plans to install a six-foot privacy fence, he said.

City staff and the P&Z Commission recommend approval. Council plans to vote on the matter May 16.

According to Springfield Business Journal’s February story, “Businesspeople capitalize on self-storage industry,” over 50 self-storage facilities operate in the Springfield area. Some 52,000 self-storage facilities exist nationwide, representing a $27.2 billion industry, according to the Self Storage Association.