Ozark's Finley River redevelopment advances to vote

The Ozark LCRA has decided to recommend a plan for the Finley River Neighborhood Development to the Ozark Board of Aldermen, which will consider the plan at its July 17 meeting.

The development has been two years in the making. The 47-acre parcel was declared blighted for the purpose of redevelopment, and in October 2004 Ozark voters formed the LCRA to oversee the development and implementation of the plan.

In August 2005, the LCRA hired Springfield firm Hagerman New Urbanism to serve as a consultant, and the firm has used public input to formulate the plan that is being recommended to the Ozark Board of Aldermen.

The plan covers an area between downtown Ozark and the Finley River, where there are currently 37 residences and 20 businesses. Only seven are owner-occupied dwellings, according to Ozark City Planner Steve Childers.

Through a series of public meetings, mailings and Internet surveys, Hagerman New Urbanism received input then drew the plan based on what was important to Ozark residents and city leaders, said Bo Hagerman of Hagerman New Urbanism.

“The people of Ozark, whoever took part in our surveys, valued sort of a downtown building type, and a high-density, high-level of scale to this project so that they’re more pedestrian focused than vehicular focused,” he said. “It is more about creating a downtown feeling than the traditional sprawl or suburban-type situation which is much of what Ozark has right now.”

The plan has a good mix of living and retail space, Hagerman said. “Living spaces ranging from lofts to apartments to single family homes, including townhouses and row houses also,” he said. “Absolutely a little bit of everything in terms of housing. The same is true of retail: more boutique like you’d find in the downtown, less chain store and plenty of office space.”

No need for blight?

Not everyone, though, is happy with the recommendations for redevelopment.

LCRA member Claude Kinser, who voted against the plan June 22, said he believes the public was misled from the beginning and that if voters knew they were heading this direction that the LCRA would have never been formed.

Kinser said the city should have dealt with problems by enforcing laws already in place for issues such as upkeep of property, rather than declaring the whole area blighted.

“Honestly my position is that since the election was tainted in the first place, in my opinion, it’s going to be real hard for me to go along voting yes on anything,” Kinser said. “Because it’s now my position that the blighted area shouldn’t have been blighted in the first place.”

Though the city has not used eminent domain to this point, Kinser thinks it’s only a matter of time.

“ … It’s my opinion that it does hang over everybody’s heads as a giant trump card, and it does influence the people that live in the area,” Kinser said.

Several property owners in the area have been vocal about their opposition to the project and have said they were not given a choice in the beginning and now don’t know what to do with their properties.

“We’re not for eminent domain, but it is a tool that we can use if we have to,” said Ozark Mayor Donna McQuay. “We’ve never involuntarily annexed anybody or anything like that, so it’s a whole new program for us. But we’re going to be very fair with everyone.”

Kinser said the people in the blighted area need representation, and he has contacted the Institute for Justice, hoping they will get involved.

“They are the ones that were very much involved in the New London, Conn., eminent domain situation,” Kinser said. “I really think that they’re going to get involved in the Ozark deal, too. They are very anti-eminent domain, as I am … especially when it has something to do with commercial development.”

McQuay said the process has been a long one and it would be impossible to make everyone happy, but she insists the city has strived to be fair and open.

“I feel bad – I know the people that live there; they don’t know where their life is because it’s been such a long period of time and we can’t get them any answers,” she said. “But at the same time, we wanted to make sure that we’ve done it in their best interest.”

Though it has been a tough road at points, Childers said the city has followed statutes that applied to the situation and is excited about what is to come.

“We’ve developed a wonderful plan,” said Childers. “We’ve held over 29 meetings with the public. We’ve given everybody ample opportunity to speak. This has been a long time coming. We have embarked on one of the most, I think, progressive (and) comprehensive land-use projects that the City of Ozark’s ever engaged in.”

The next step

If the redevelopment plan is accepted by the board, Hagerman New Urbanism will serve as the coordinating developer in the public-private partnership.

“We need to help them make it attractive to multiple other developers as well as ourselves so there are several people interested in the development of this site,” Hagerman said.

City Planner Childers said that having a public-private partnership helps to ensure that the public isn’t having to put forth all the money to cover development costs.

“We’re just trying to find creative ways to finance the project,” he said.

Childers said the city is interested in having any number of developers purchase property and develop based on the plan. Developers interested in looking at the plan should contact Hagerman New Urbanism, Childers said.

In the meantime, Childers noted that residents in the blighted area should continue living as they are.

“If a developer comes along and offers somebody money for their property, just like anybody would make a real estate sale anywhere in the United States, they’re free to do so,” said Childers, noting that the city would most likely acquire properties for public parking, sidewalks and rights of way.

The LCRA also has hired Gross & Associates of Republic to conduct an economic community financial development analysis of the plan that will outline costs and funding opportunities for the city. Possibilities for funding include creating a tax increment financing district or implementing a special sales tax in the area.[[In-content Ad]]