Sidewalk vendors allowed downtown

City Council approved an ordinance at its June 13 meeting that creates permits for sidewalk vendors in the downtown area.

The bill was the idea of Jeff Bear, a 23-year-old college student, who saw vendors on a visit to New York City and thought the idea could work in Springfield.

“He asked the city if it would be allowed, and of course the ordinances weren’t set up to allow that,” said John Simmons, head of Urban Districts Alliance. “The city asked UDA to do our research and poll the downtown organizations to see what they thought about it.”

He said UDA went to the Downtown Springfield Association, the Community Improvement District and the Springfield Commercial Club. Each said it didn’t want to be a barrier for competition. UDA then suggested that city staff come up with an ordinance, which council passed during the meeting.

Vendors, once they receive a permit from the city, will be allowed to work in an area that stretches as far as Commercial Street on the north, John Q. Hammons Parkway on the east, Elm Street on the south and Main Avenue on the west.

The bill allows sidewalk vendors to peddle their wares between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m., provided they meet all applicable Health Department requirements.

The bill does not specify that vendors must sell food, though it does restrict vendors from being within 150 feet of another vendor or any store selling similar products.

Rezoning requests

Council heard first readings on six different rezoning requests covering more than 52 acres of land in various parts of the city. Much of the public discussion was in regard to 9.68 acres at Kansas Expressway and Bennett Street.

A new development, to be called Kensington Place, would house approximately 280 apartment units there, if approved.

Brent Stevens of H Design Group, representing the developer of the property, said the complex would feature three-story buildings.

The proposed plat was not the first heard by the Planning and Zoning Commission; the original proposal included nearly 400 units. The commission denied that proposal in December because it would have too severely impacted a nearby neighborhood.

Ed Michaels, president of the neighboring Residence at Elfindale Homeowners Association, said the new development would be detrimental to the quality of life in the retirement community, adding that people “come to live in Elfindale because they want the peace and quiet.”

He added that the new apartments also would lead to increased traffic, especially from the predominantly college-age residents who would most likely inhabit it.

Jessica Boyce, manager of Kensington Park Development LLC, said the proposed apartments would not specifically target college students, hoping instead to draw a wider variety of residents.

Other topics

The following bills also were heard at the meeting; all will be voted on June 27.

• Developers for Chestnut Crossing, a planned development at the southwest corner of West Bypass and Chestnut Expressway, submitted a petition to form the Northwest Area Community Improvement District. The district would collect an extra half-cent sales tax from all retail vendors in the development. The money would then be used for internal infrastructure improvements.

• Council received the bill that would set up a state-sanctioned 353 redevelopment corporation for renovations on the Heer’s Tower, 138 W. Park Central Square.

The move would allow the city to abate the property tax on improvements made to the building for the next 25 years, so long as those tax dollars are put toward the construction of the project’s adjacent parking deck.

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