Development takes off in northeast Springfield

That’s still eight to 10 years away, but the as-yet unincorporated area east of Highway 65 and north of Cherry Street is already a bona fide hotspot for high-end residential development.

Since 2000, Ron Stenger Realtors Inc. has been developing farmland along East Division Street – or Highway YY as it’s known in the county – to attract buyers who want the best of both worlds: tranquil country living that’s inside the Springfield school district and just minutes away from urban amenities.

“It’s just a great area that’s finally opened up,” said developer Stu Stenger, Ron Stenger’s son.

Tom Barr and Brian Willaby of Craftmaster Properties LLC also have taken an interest in the area. Their subdivisions, Pearson Meadows and the soon-to-be-developed Pearson Park, are aimed primarily at first-time buyers and empty nesters looking to spend $325,000 or less on a new home, said Barr, a broker with ReMax House of Brokers.

Stenger spurs development

Through several years and numerous transactions, Stenger has amassed 600 acres for two companion developments, Wild Horse and The Lakes at Wild Horse.

Residential lots in the subdivisions are typically a third of an acre in size and sell for $40,000 to $80,000 apiece, Stu Stenger said.

But preparing acres of hayfields for homes isn’t cheap.

Installing the necessary infrastructure, such as water, sewer and streets, requires a sizeable upfront investment, Stenger said.

Stenger partnered with the county and state to pay for intersection improvements completed last month at Highway YY and farm roads 197 and 199. The highway was widened, turn lanes added and visibility improved to handle increased traffic.

Most of the intersection improvements – which cost $872,000 – were paid for with Greene County’s Road and Bridge Fund, but Stenger contributed $85,000 and the Missouri Department of Transportation allocated another $75,000.

Both Wild Horse and The Lakes at Wild Horse have progressed in phases, each of which takes about six months, Stenger said. Phase IV is set to begin on about 65 acres early next year, and Stenger will start selling lots to builders in the summer. When half the lots are sold, another phase begins, Stenger said.

Stenger said he and John Heitz, also a broker with ReMax House of Brokers, have sold lots to more than 40 area builders. New homes in the subdivisions range in price from $200,000 to $500,000, Heitz said.

Same area, different demographic

South of The Lakes at Wild Horse lies Pearson Meadows, where another 80 homes have sprouted in the last couple of years.

On average, lots in Pearson Meadows are slightly smaller – one-quarter to one-third of an acre each – and sell for less ¬– $35,000 to $46,000 – than those in the nearby Stenger subdivisions. But the smaller, more affordable homes still appeal to buyers who desire a peaceful rural setting that’s inside the school district, Barr said.

Of the 101 lots in Pearson Meadows, 97 are sold, Barr said. Three of the remaining lots for sale are larger than an acre and listed for about $70,000 apiece, he noted.

As building continues in Pearson Meadows, Craftmaster is moving forward with plans for Pearson Park. The subdivision is north of Highway YY and east of Farm Road 203 near the boundary of the city’s urban service area, said Greene County planner Joan Burns.

Earlier this year, the Greene County Planning and Zoning Commission approved a preliminary plat for Pearson Park’s first phase, which comprises 59 lots on 30 acres. Barr said the subdivision will be comparable to Pearson Meadows and will involve several of the same builders.

Annexation imminent

In time, the Stenger and Craftmaster subdivisions will be annexed into northeast Springfield.

The southeast portion of the city’s urban service area has long been a hotspot for high-end residential development, but growth has crept northward along the city’s eastern outskirts, said Ralph Rognstad, the city’s director of planning and development.

The growth rate has been somewhat constrained by sewer service, but many developers have the wherewithal to install the infrastructure as they go, Rognstad said.

Hundreds of homes built outside the city’s northeast limits will be eventually annexed once there’s enough commercial development to generate the tax revenue necessary for expanded municipal services, such as fire protection, Rognstad said. The annual cost of operating a fire station is about $500,000, he added.

Coincidentally, commercial development slated for property east of Highway 65 along Chestnut Expressway will displace Hickory Hills School, which will be rebuilt near The Lakes at Wild Horse and Pearson Meadows.

The school district purchased the property at the intersection of Highway YY and Farm Road 193 this fall and will solicit construction bids in the spring, said district spokesman Robert Keyes. The new school would likely open in late 2008 or early 2009, he said.[[In-content Ad]]