City Beat: Southeast residents oppose Lone Pine rezoning

|tab|

Residents of southeast Springfield turned out in force at the March 6 City Council meeting to oppose a development at the corner of Battlefield and Lone Pine proposed by Bill Jester.|ret||ret||tab|

Jester's development, which would feature a convenience store, retail and office space, would also house a portion of an Ozarks Greenways trail Jester has agreed to construct at his cost. The bill to rezone the tract to a planned development was on the City Council agenda for a public hearing March 6. |ret||ret||tab|

The majority of the tract, which is about 2 3/4 acres, is now zoned general retail, said Fred May, director of planning and development. About four-tenths of an acre is zoned single family, and the developer is requesting that the entire 2 3/4 acres be rezoned as a planned development. May said the planned development gave the neighbors in the area a better idea of what would go on at the site than a general retail zoning would.|ret||ret||tab|

"We felt the planned development zoning would allow the developer to address the concerns of the neighbors better than if the entire tract was zoned general retail," May said.|ret||ret||tab|

Neighbors in the area were concerned about several things, but primary among them was the flooding that occurs in the area during heavy rainfall. One resident presented a petition with 400 signatures in opposition to the development.|ret||ret||tab|

Jester has the tract under contract for purchase, and the deal is set to close following a rezoning, he said at the meeting. |ret||ret||tab|

Flooding was a big concern of neighbors, some of whom said their property floods during heavy rains. May said a pipe under Lone Pine designed to handle water runoff was insufficient. Some residents, including Dan Chiles, who serves as president of the Southeast Springfield Neighborhood Association, said the city had "ample time" to conduct additional studies on the area and get firm answers to some of the neighbors' concerns.|ret||ret||tab|

"There is no burning need for an additional convenience store in Springfield. I think this gives us ample time, and I urge you to use extreme caution in considering this plan," Chiles said.|ret||ret||tab|

Springfield attorney Jim Tucker, who represents some of the neighbors in the area, said he was amazed the city was even discussing development in the area.|ret||ret||tab|

"I'm amazed that we're not talking about the city buying it," Tucker said. He went on to add that he thought the development could affect the quality of water in Sequiota Spring.|ret||ret||tab|

Jester said if the planned development fails to pass council March 20, "something could still happen" on the land, the majority of which is already zoned for general retail. |ret||ret||tab|

"Without this being done, the whole idea of a partnership is impossible. It would be economically unfeasible for us to partner for the development of a trail if this is not rezoned," Jester said.|ret||ret||tab|

A council bill to rezone 8 1/4 acres from single family to a planned development was also on the council's agenda for a first reading. |ret||ret||tab|

The area is located north of Sunset Street and west of Fort Avenue and is to be developed as a nursing and retirement home complex. |ret||ret||tab|

Craig Lowther, who represents the developer, Springfield Care Centers LLP, said the developer was also responsible for two developments like this one in Strafford, and the James River Care Center in Springfield. |ret||ret||tab|

The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approving the planned development, but city staff recommended denial, based on the fact that the zoning is not consistent with the single-family zoning that surrounds it.|ret||ret||tab|

Lowther said the development would add 90 jobs to Springfield and generate more than $20,000 a year in new taxes for the area. |ret||ret||tab|

"The development only affects eight houses and will generate less trips than a single-family development on that many acres would have," Lowther said.|ret||ret||tab|

In other action, the council passed a resolution declaring the city's endorsement of the northwest site for the second Partnership Industrial Center 8-0 (Councilman Bob Chancellor was absent from the meeting.) |ret||ret||tab|

Councilman Gary Gibson said the council's endorsing the northwest site was worth celebrating.|ret||ret||tab|

"This bill represents a lot of hard work here on our own council and also indicates our leadership's ability to find a good compromise," Gibson said.|ret||ret||tab|

Council also approved two second reading bills, including a bill to rezone two acres on the east side of South National Avenue north of Walnut Lawn Street and a bill to rezone 31 acres on the west side of South Kansas Avenue from a Greene County R-1 district to a single family residential district. Both bills passed 8-0.|ret||ret||tab|

[[In-content Ad]]