The upcoming Monday Springfield City Council meeting is expected to be a long one as a much-contested rezoning case in University Heights is set for another public hearing. Several other rezoning proposals are also on the agenda as well as a final allocation of COVID-relief funds.
What’s the latest in University Heights?
Unlike earlier attempts to rezone the northwest corner of National Avenue and Sunshine Street, so far this request does not include a solid plan of what would be developed there. In the past, a food hall with pickleball courts was proposed, and owners briefly pursued the idea of a Planned Development, a stricter zoning district requiring a site plan. The newest proposal strays from this idea, instead applying for a strict rezoning to general retail and a Conditional Overlay District that prohibits several uses, including athletic courts, and establishes buffer yards and other limitations.
The developers at Be Kind & Merciful LLC said a Planned Development or rezoning that would be more explicit in use is not possible right now as they do not yet have a tenant and finding one is contingent on the rezoning. As the original rezoning application was withdrawn, this is a brand new request and the first time the case will be looked at under the Forward SGF Comprehensive Plan rather than the previous Vision 20/20 plan.