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Springfield City Council on Monday night gave three projects the green light to move forward, at least from a zoning perspective. Here's more information on each.
City council unanimously approved rezoning to allow the transformation of a long-abandoned mill in the middle of Springfield into a restaurant and retail space.
Built in 1928, the large silos tower over much of the city at the corner of Chestnut Expressway and National Avenue. Long vacant, the mill is best known for the giant mural on its side depicting the birth of the baby Jesus.
Though left to decay, current zoning of the property allows it to be renovated into a professional office and a single-family penthouse in the silos.
More:Long-abandoned Springfield mill planned to become restaurant, stores under new ownership
But its new owners hope to take it into a new direction.
"My sister and I are the new owners of this property," said Sheri Perkins at a Planning & Zoning Commission meeting last month. "We are opening a small restaurant and retail space."
Rather than renovating the whole structure at the outset, Perkins and her sister plan to build a new structure connected with the mill to house their restaurant.
"We're not going to fill it all up. Our plan is a new build, maybe eventually someday developing something out of the silos as well. But the idea is that it would look connected and cohesive with what's already there. But the new build would be right next to it," Perkins said.
Council approved rezoning to allow 59 rental units in the southwest corner of the city, near the Quail Creek neighborhood.
Council had previously approved rezoning for the project last year with the same design as the "Tera Vera" development on Sunset and Kimbrough, which are single story patio homes. But they now return to approve units with more than one story.
The previously approved restrictions included a one-story height limitation for all residential structures, which the applicant has requested to remove as part of this rezoning. A two-story limit will be imposed within a hundred feet of the west property line and a three-story limit elsewhere.
More:New animal shelter to be constructed in Springfield, city council approves plan
According to information presented at last month's council meeting, there had been neighborhood concerns about the project but they had been resolved before bringing it to council.
At the original neighborhood meeting, there were more than 40 people who came and discussion was primarily negative," said developer Derek Lee. "So we decided to work with the homeowners association to just break it out where we could sit and talk. And so that's what we did."
According to Lee, the development team adopted "every suggestion that the neighborhood wanted."
In a letter to the city, Quail Creek Property Owners Association President John Barber said his organization "supports the proposed rezoning and believe the changes will have a positive impact."
By mutual agreement between the neighborhood and developers include
Maximum density of 11 dwelling units per acre
No apartment buildings permitted on site
No common areas such as trash dumpsters or pools within a 100 feet of the west property line
No exterior balconies on the west property line
Six additional evergreen trees on the west property line, a total of eight
A buffer yard and six inch wood fence on the west property line
Mayor Ken McClure said he was a resident of the neighborhood under question but declined to recuse himself because any conflict had been resolved between the parties.
"It's a very good sign when developers and neighbors can agree," McClure said at last month's meeting.
Council approved development of a multi-family apartment complex on West Bennett street by rezoning it from a manufacturing district.
Despite the Growth Management and Land Use Plan designating this area as appropriate for "Light Industrial, Office, and Office Warehouse," city staff recommended approval of the rezoning.
"The property is consistent with the (residential) district intent to have access for vehicular traffic from ... higher classification streets without traversing minor streets in adjoining residential neighborhoods," reads the council bill.
More:Proposed C-Street development would replace vacant building on edge of historic district
Developers would be allowed 88 units but said they expect to construct less on the 8-acre property. The apartments will be build over multiple buildings and will contain two stories.
Andrew Sullender is the local government reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow him on Twitter @andrewsullender. Email tips and story ideas to asullender@gannett.com.
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