The crowd addressing Springfield City Council last night about proposed zoning changes near the intersection of Campbell Avenue and Grand Street was passionate, but divided. A packed house at City Hall turned out to weigh in on whether council should advance the plans of Bentonville, Ark.-based megaretailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to build a fifth Neighborhood Market in Springfield.
Wal-Mart is seeking council approval on a plan to rezone about 6 acres at 444 W. Grand St. and 427, 433, 441, 501, 505, 509 and 515 W. Normal St. to a general retail district with a conditional overlay district from residential high density and residential single family. On Jan. 24, the Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission recommended council’s approval with its 5-2 vote after the retailer agreed to put in a traffic barrier to the neighborhood behind the store.
In total, 28 speakers opposed the plans at last night's council meeting, while 21 supported the changes.
Those opposed included businesspeople, nearby residents and members of a grassroots organization called Stand Up to Wal-Mart.
Pyramid Foods President and CEO Erick Taylor - who
last month said the proposed Neighborhood Market could lead to the closure of Price Cutter’s downtown Bistro Market - last night argued that a new Walmart store in town would be a safety hazard by exasperating center-city traffic. He also said the store would be a detriment to downtown businesses, a theme that reverberated through the night among those against the plans.
“There are five Springfield public schools within one mile of this proposed zoning change – two elementary schools, one middle school, one high school and Phelps Center for the Gifted. Missouri State University is also approximately one mile away from this location,” Taylor said. “I am concerned for Springfield students because this is a dangerous four-lane intersection.
“I do not believe that adding a 10th Walmart to Springfield by our growing center city will improve our quality of life. It will only have a negative impact on our downtown,” Taylor continued.
Other businesspeople to speak against the plans were Bo Hagerman of Bates & Associates Inc. and Bruno Gargiulo, owner of downtown Italian restaurant Bruno’s.
David Klotz, a member of the Stand Up to Wal-Mart group, which has 499 “likes” on its Jan. 25-established Facebook page, said he thought the proposed store would have a significant negative impact on downtown.
“This is not just another yogurt shop,” Klotz said.
A traffic engineer hired by Wal-Mart, Lee Cannon, said widening Grand to the south to include a center turning lane and limiting access to the store to two entry- and exit-ways, as well as blocking off Normal Street to the west of one entrance near Campbell, would alleviate traffic problems.
However, both council members Scott Bailes and Jan Fisk were skeptical, pointing out that left turns onto Grand during peak driving times could be dangerous. Bailes said his daughter received a ticket for stopping in the turning lane on a similar left turn. “I’ll show you the ticket,” he said.
Representing Wal-Mart, St. Charles attorney Keith Hazelwood said green space would be added to cover the existing Calvary Temple/Life 360 church parking lot, and that the retailer would agree not to build on the 1.8-acre space to help ease traffic concerns. The suggestion led Councilwoman Cindy Rushefsky to call for an amendment of the conditional overlay district to put the offer in writing, which was unanimously approved.
Calvary Temple Pastor Tom Cederblom said the church has wanted to sell the more than 50-year-old property with foundational problems and asbestos since he arrived to lead the church about three years ago. The congregation, which has dwindled in numbers from a high of about 1,000 members in the 1970s and 80s to roughly 250 today, holds Sunday service in the gymnasium because he said the rest of the church was “unusable.”
“We know in our hearts that one day we will have to tear it down,” Cederblom said, estimating it would take 5 to 10 years to raise the funds for demolition. “One year ago, when Wal-Mart approached our congregation about buying our property, we considered it then, and consider it now, an answer to our prayers.”
He said the congregation voted 165 to three in favor of selling the property.
Bill Hennessy, a Calvary Temple/Life 360 church member, said congregation members spoke with 46 neighbors at 70 nearby homes and found 10 who were opposed to the sale to Wal-Mart, 10 who were indifferent or had no opinion and 26 who supported the move.
In an online SBJ.net poll conducted Feb. 1-7, 52 percent of the 504 voters said council should not give the go-ahead for a fifth Neighborhood Market.
Crystal Kincaid, a mother and resident of 515 W. Normal St., said she has found syringes in the alleyway behind the church and near her yard. She said demolishing the building and putting in a well-lit retail center would improve the neighborhood.
“It has to be better than a rundown church and an empty Pizza Hut,” Kincaid said.
Wal-Mart representatives said a 167-space parking lot would be located at the southwest corner of Grand and Campbell, where the former Pizza Hut is located, to serve the 41,170-square-foot grocery store.
Council is expected to vote on the zoning change at its Feb. 25 meeting.
