Springfield City Council held a public hearing last night on plans to rezone 18.6 acres of development area home to The Abbey Apartments, 1530 E. Erie St., to make way for a new 33-unit building.
The plans drew the ire of three neighbors to the south who said more concrete at the top of the hill would only exacerbate flooding problems in and around their homes.
Resident Bill Morris said a storm that happened around 14 years ago flooded 2 feet of water into his basement, and he had to take out a Small Business Administration-backed loan to make improvements. The city has since made drainage improvements in the area, but he said low ground on East Walnut Lawn, south of The Abbey, is still prone to flooding.
“A pond will still form sometimes, flooding the street and flooding vehicles that try to pass. This will happen during heavy rains. During moderate to heavy rains, a river of water comes down from The Abbey toward my driveway and east into the drainage ditch,” Morris said. “If flooding continues to be an issue in my neighborhood, sooner or later, (Federal Emergency Management Agency) is going to remap us and put us in a flood zone. Putting another large building there, it just seems would create more flooding problems for the neighborhood.”
Resident Janet Wall said neighbors already live in fear of the next major flood event, and TLC’s proposed building would not alleviate those concerns.
“The elevation of The Abbey’s grounds is considerably higher than to the south, and water drains downhill,” Wall said. “One comment from one of the commissioners at one of the meetings, and I’m paraphrasing, is that it was important for [TLC Executive Director Sam M.] Coryell to maximize on his financial investment for his greatest return, but how about the greatest return for the dozens of homeowners still afflicted by water in and around their homes? We speak from experience.”
Rodney Colson, stormwater engineer for the city of Springfield, told council he visited the apartments about three weeks ago after a rain event and saw some obstructions in place preventing water from flowing into the regional detention area to the west of the apartments. He said TLC management addressed the issue and removed the blockages.
Brett Stevens, project architect for H Design Group and representative of the developer at last night’s meeting, said TLC Properties would work to minimize flooding in the area. According to city codes, he said the new structure – estimated to cost around $2.5 million – couldn’t make flooding worse downhill.
“Any new stormwater off this building, as you know, would not drain off into the neighborhood,” Stevens said at the meeting. “We can’t make anything worse, and if anything, we’ll make it better.”
In all, the structure would add 33 units to the complex, bringing its total to 364, according to Stevens. The current planned development only allows up to 350 units. The bill’s second reading and vote is scheduled for City Council’s Aug. 18 meeting.
This installment of Springfield Business Journal’s Architects & Engineers Project Report showcases 26 endeavors by area design and engineering professionals.
