YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
Five tracts of land are being targeted for annexation as Springfield city leaders aim to carry out one of the top 10 initiatives of its Forward SGF comprehensive plan.
At its luncheon meeting yesterday, Springfield City Council members heard a report that focused on the first five areas – four in southwest Springfield and one on the east side – to bring into the city through the voluntary annexation process.
Council and city staff reached consensus at the luncheon that the property owners in the annexation target areas would receive at least 30 days’ advance notification of a public hearing to be held at an upcoming council meeting, followed by a vote at the subsequent meeting.
The owners, who hold deeds to commercial rather than residential properties, will be sent copies of the consent to annex their property.
The areas chosen for annexation are part of the city’s urban service area, which is the area to which the city may extend its services, like sanitary sewer and transportation, without crossing negotiated boundaries with outlying cities.
Alana Owen, principal planner with the city’s Department of Planning & Development, introduced the properties under consideration for annexation:
• South side of West Battlefield Road, west of Golden Avenue. This tract of approximately 4.5 acres includes a Dollar General, a Valvoline Instant Oil Change and vacant land. The Battlefield right of way is currently maintained by Greene County, which would continue to maintain it until the north side of the road is also annexed, Owen said.
• South side of West Republic Road, east of Golden Avenue. The 16-acre tract includes a mix of retail, including O’Reilly Auto Parts, a planned dental office and auto repair businesses, plus offices. The city is already maintaining the Republic right of way, so there would be no additional maintenance costs to the city.
• West and east side of South Campbell Avenue, north of Farm Road 186. This 32-acre section includes retail, restaurant and service businesses, and a church. Campbell is maintained by the Missouri Department of Transportation, so there would be no additional maintenance costs to the city.
• West and east side of West Bypass, north of Sunshine Street. The 12.8 acres, located north of the planned Target store and an existing Walmart, includes retail, service and repair uses. Sunshine will continue to be maintained by MoDOT at no additional cost to the city.
• North of East Sunshine Street at the eastern limit of Springfield. The 25.6-acre area includes retail, office and senior citizen multifamily housing. Sunshine will continue to be maintained by MoDOT at no additional cost to the city.
As commercial properties, the annexation targets are a source of potential sales tax revenue, the primary funding mechanism for the city. By contrast, residential properties generate property tax, which funds schools, fire districts, libraries and social services.
According to the presentation, the city is prioritizing annexation of areas with the potential to bring in revenue without requiring extra expenditures for infrastructure maintenance. Priority is also given to areas that are contiguous – that is, connected to the city’s existing boundary.
Most importantly, the areas are ones where property owners have signed agreements giving consent to annex in exchange for city sewer service, officials say. Some of the consent agreements were signed by developers for property that has changed hands, possibly multiple times, in the intervening years.
Owen also pointed out three areas next in line for annexation consideration, and those are city-owned property. One is located near the Springfield-Branson National Airport, one is the Rutledge-Wilson Farm Park and one is a property west of town that serves as a buffer area for the Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Another consideration in deciding which areas to annex is the potential for redevelopment or additional development, Owen said, highlighting the West Bypass annexation area as an example.
“With the new Target going in here, we see this as a good area with opportunities for redevelopment or additional development,” she said, describing the potential as enticing.
An expanded version of this article is scheduled to appear in Springfield Business Journal’s July 22 print edition.
A wave of affordable housing built in the 1990s through the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit are expected to revert to market rate housing in the next few years.