Palace rezoning, PDMPs up for vote at tonight’s council meeting

City Council will convene at its regular meeting tonight to vote on a couple of controversial proposals.

Council members will finally decide on a zone change by Dearborn Development Inc. at 2220 W. Chesterfield Blvd., the site of the former Palace theater. The change from a planned development to a general retail district would allow for the use of churches, and if approved, Life 360 Church would purchase the property and move in.

Eight out of 10 speakers at the last council meeting, July 10, voiced opposition to the zoning change, and most of them were Chesterfield Village residents. The rezoning bill was originally scheduled for a public hearing at the May 30 council meeting, but was rescheduled due to a tie vote by the Planning and Zoning Commission on May 5. Council now has a P&Z recommendation for the rezoning.

City council also will determine whether to adopt a Springfield prescription drug monitoring program. The database is designed to securely track the prescribing and dispensing of prescription drugs. Missouri has been the only state in the nation without a PDMP in place, but Gov. Eric Greitens signed an executive order July 17 to begin creating a program for Missouri.

If approved, St. Louis County would act as administrator for Springfield’s program. The county has acted as a hub for Appriss, a national company that controls PDMP databases in 42 states.

Matters regarding the city’s budget also are on the docket. Council will hear a first-reading bill for a $600,000 interest-free loan to the Springfield Park Board for the replacement of three wooden bridges at the Rivercut Golf Course that were damaged during recent flooding. Additionally, an ordinance approving a master site plan budget for the Springfield Art Museum in the amount of $255,000 will be considered.