Walnut Street residents dispute city plans

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It may be a tempest in a teapot, but Walnut Street merchants have inadvertently found themselves pitted against residents of the street's historic district.|ret||ret||tab|

What's brewing isn't tea it's dissension. That's because the city proposes to expand National at Walnut to construct protected left-turn lanes east and west. The proposition will go before the Landmarks Board for the third time at its April 18 meeting, which promises to be packed with residents of the east end of Walnut who are up in arms over the proposal.|ret||ret||tab|

Nearly 17 years ago, the city of Springfield thought it was a good idea to decrease the volume and speed of traffic on Walnut Street east of National, but it has done nothing to accomplish that goal, said John Henderson, a Walnut Street resident and an at-large member of the Landmarks Board.|ret||ret||tab|

Now the city proposes to make it easier for traffic to flow east into the historic residential neighborhood and residents have told him that's just not right, said Hen-derson, an attorney. |ret||ret||tab|

As a board member, Henderson said he has to remain neutral and gather information along with other board members who make recommendations to City Council about proposed changes in the historic districts in town. But so far the city "has come up with a strategy that will increase traffic," Henderson said.|ret||ret||tab|

At the next board meeting, city engineer David Hutchison will have the results of a traffic study now going on between Fremont and Pickwick on East Walnut, Hutchison said. |ret||ret||tab|

The Landmarks Board members believe the board has the authority to give or decline permission to allow the project, which as proposed would cause National to be widened and make physical changes in the appearance of the district. A|ret||ret||tab|

staff report prepared by the city planner's office states that "the applicant's proposal does not appear to be consistent with the Walnut Street Design Guidelines." |ret||ret||tab|

But residents are troubled about more than looks, Henderson said, and that's nothing new. |ret||ret||tab|

The 1984 preservation plan in which council created the Walnut Street Urban Conservation Districts addressed the traffic flow issue thus: |ret||ret||tab|

"Residents of this area have expressed concern regarding the volume and speed of traffic on Walnut Street. The problem seems to be attributable to through' traffic not local. Even though there is not a traffic light at Walnut and Glenstone, it appears that many people turn off Glen-stone onto Walnut and use the street to travel across town. ... Because of the unique residential quality of Walnut Street, actions should be taken to lessen the traffic on it from National Avenue to Glenstone Avenue.|ret||ret||tab|

"Possible actions would include closing Walnut Street at either National or Kentwood Avenues, installing protected left-turn signals to the St. Louis and National intersection (to facilitate traffic flow on St. Louis) and modifying the Kickapoo/McDan-iel intersection (to alleviate cutting through' to avoid the no-left-turn situation at Walnut and National). Specific strategies require additional traffic counts and an analysis before any actions are implemented." |ret||ret||tab|

The last analysis was performed in 1993.|ret||ret||tab|

Another strategy in the plan was to prohibit truck traffic on Walnut Street east of National, which has been addressed by placing "no trucks" signs on streets that enter Walnut, but none of the other proposals have been implemented, much to the chagrin of residents with children who wait for school buses in the morning as traffic rushes by them.|ret||ret||tab|

Henderson said he believes that the board has the authority to reject the proposal which requires a certificate of appropriateness for the work. He cites the language which created the Walnut Street Urban Conservation Districts for the board's authority to consider the effect of traffic in the historic district. |ret||ret||tab|

"In the event the board concludes that the request, if granted, will have a detrimental effect upon the urban conservation district or any adverse effect on an historical or architectural resource, then the board shall deny the request for a certificate."|ret||ret||tab|

Brendan Griesemer, a city Planning Department staff member who attended the board meetings, said he doubts that the Landmarks Board has the authority to prevent the project from proceeding. |ret||ret||tab|

"Getting into traffic areas is getting out of their realm." |ret||ret||tab|

He added that deciding that increased traffic going east would be detrimental to the area is "not an argument that they are supposed to be making." |ret||ret||tab|

Griesemer said Public Works came to the board merely to get more right of way to widen the street, and that's the only issue the board can consider.|ret||ret||tab|

Hutchison, a transportation planning engineer for the city, said, "We have done several counts of the area over the years, gathering data at the same location." |ret||ret||tab|

His report "will include our projections for any changes in traffic movements based on adjacent intersections and (traffic) generation in the area, and then we will be addressing the specific questions in regard to the physical features" of the project, which would include construction of a retaining wall.|ret||ret||tab|

"We can't have a left-turn lane for northbound going west without widening the street, so street widening is required," Hutchison said. |ret||ret||tab|

But he wouldn't comment on whether it was necessary to put in a protected left-turn lane to allow traffic access into the residential neighborhood. Now, left turns are prohibited from National east or west to Walnut between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.|ret||ret||tab|

Attorney Roger C. Jones has a unique perspective on the situation. He lives on the east side of National, but owns an office on the west side. "I don't have any concern with it. It appears to me that we have to live with the fact that Walnut Street is a very busy street. It's extremely difficult to exit off National onto Walnut either way as it is now. It's been the cause of several serious accidents. I think it's very appropriate." |ret||ret||tab|

Veterinarian Tedd Hamaker, who lives on Walnut Street with his wife, Lisa and two small children, pointed out that Jones doesn't have any small children and that the city can't have it both ways. |ret||ret||tab|

"The people that choose to live on Walnut Street live there knowing full well that they are under certain guidelines in terms of what they can and cannot do, and we're more than happy to abide by them. We know it's important to retain the historical values not just for ourselves as property owners but for all of Springfield."|ret||ret||tab|

Hamaker added, "We're already on the books" and Springfield is known for its Walnut Street Historic District with many structures on the National Historic Registry.|ret||ret||tab|

"The city is speaking out of both sides of its mouth," Hamaker continued. First, it says we think this is important and we designate it as such' ... then it comes along to improve traffic flow and sets up the city on a grid to treat (Walnut Street) as a good east-west thoroughfare. But it shouldn't be because its a historical district not just because I think so, but because City Council has mandated that this is a special neighborhood and a special street and that it should be treated differently. They should think long and hard about doing anything that's going to destroy or desecrate its appeal to all of Springfield." |ret||ret||tab|

Paula Ringer, chairman of the Landmarks Board, said the board's duty is to be concerned with more than "how its going to look." There is the "other issue from just the impact it will have on the historic district." |ret||ret||tab|

"All historic districts, if you look at them nationwide ... are pedestrian friendly," Ringer said. "And it's probably in our best interest to consider that and take a look at that. That's the beauty of historical districts when you go to any city across the nation. Usually you can walk about the district and feel safe in doing that. Traffic access is limited."|ret||ret||tab|

Hamaker said he thought the intersection improve ment plan was to "improve access into the more commercial area. I'm all for center city. They should increase access to the shops and as a corridor to downtown. That should be an entirely different experience" from the residential portion of Walnut to the east. |ret||ret||tab|

Attorney Henderson agreed the merchants need the left turn into Walnut going west.|ret||ret||tab|

Hamaker and Henderson pointed out that St. Louis Street is a natural east-west corridor, but it doesn't have protected left turns onto National an innovation that was suggested 17 years ago in the plan. |ret||ret||tab|

With the new recreational ice arena being built, proposed construction of a baseball stadium and expanded exposition space, not to mention a possibility of an arena downtown too, traffic engineers must find a way to move all that traffic, they agreed. |ret||ret||tab|

But not through their historic residential neighborhood, the two said.|ret||ret||tab|

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