Letter to the Editor: City should step in to improve new airport entrance

Travel to any growing and progressive city, and they have made public street beautification a main commitment. For the head of Springfield Public Works to state city policy as leaving it up to private owners to make Springfield more attractive is not progressive thinking.

Plus, it does not always work. Look at the closed Club Intensity on East Sunshine as an example. They spent close to $3 million to build the building, but because Springfield’s landscape ordinance does not regulate new development on the same footprint, they spent zero dollars on planting of trees.

The commitment of our city leaders to make Springfield more attractive is minimal compared to other great cities. The few trees that have been planted on our streets over the years have an extremely high mortality rate. How does this happen in the Ozarks, where trees just pop up and grow?

I hope the beautifully done Trafficway, by Hammons Field, will be just as beautiful in 10 years. History is not on its side! City leaders need to commit to a bold plan to make Springfield’s public roadways the best they can be by properly planting, maintaining and regularly replacing trees. They have done a great job of committing to better traffic flow, road improvements, red light cameras and better road signage. We can do this correctly, too.

Also, immediately stop the Missouri Department of Transportation from continuing to concrete the raised median on our city streets. The new West Bypass project shows a concreted median is planned; is that positive for Springfield’s front door beauty? MoDOT also should replace the more than 90 percent tree loss on such city streets as Chestnut or Kansas expressways. In front of City Hall and Ozarks Technical Community College, there is 100 percent tree loss over the years on the center median. How do these government agencies have such high tree loss rates? Our amazing Parks department does not have such tree losses with their plantings!

Hopefully, someday when our streets are filled with growing, beautiful trees, visitors and citizens alike will know they are in the Queen City of the Ozarks!

—Charles M. Ewing

Springfield[[In-content Ad]]