Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register
Concern is growing over proposed changes to how the city of Springfield approves development of new apartments, shopping plazas and offices.
A measure before the Springfield City Council would increase the size of projects that require council sign-off, meaning that smaller projects that don’t need rezoning could skip council review. All projects would still have to meet building and zoning standards.
Developers and aldermen lobbying for the change say it will shorten and simplify a burdensome approval process to build in the capital city, potentially kick-starting more construction and economic activity. Opponents worry the changes will shut out residents and elected officials from important decisions about what gets built in their neighborhoods and how.
A couple dozen developers and construction companies met with city officials in March to share concerns about navigating what they see as a slow and arduous process to begin construction. After those conversations, Mayor Jim Langfelder proposed striking rules requiring any construction project with more than one structure on a half-acre or more to go through a separate review process and get city council sign-off prior to applying for building permits.
His proposal leaves in place the additional review process for any development of 5 acres or more.
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Faster process
Nate Bottom, the city’s engineer, said from the research he’s done, peer cities including Bloomington and Decatur do not have a “large-scale development” process similar to Springfield’s. Now, a panel of city and county staff with expertise in sewer systems, public health, economic development, traffic engineering and other areas review the large-scale plans to ensure they meet city standards.
Members of the Land Development and Subdivision Planning committee, part of the Springfield and Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission, can suggest changes to the construction specifications and then provide a recommendation to the council on whether to approve.
Some developers say the committee’s review is an added layer of bureaucracy that may not be necessary for smaller projects, since they have to meet the building and engineering standards the committee analyzes regardless.
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Accountability
Roger Kanerva, who lives in Cobblestone Estates and is a member of its homeowners association, said Springfield’s large-scale review process gives residents another avenue to voice concerns.
Kanerva is familiar with neighborhood battles over development. He and some neighbors successfully lobbied against a proposal to build a Wal-Mart between Archer Elevator and Meadowbrook roads 10 years ago. More recently, the Cobblestone Estates Homeowners Association fought construction of 12 three-story apartment buildings backed by Joyner at the same site.
“We presented written objections and testimony all the way through the process, and (the council) gave Joyner what he wanted,” Kanerva said, by approving both rezoning the area and the large-scale development plans.
Still, Kanerva said, it was important for residents to have a voice in the process. Kanerva warns that by changing the rules for large-scale developments, it reduces the opportunity for residents to have their concerns heard, as he and his neighbors did.
The Cobblestone Estates apartment project would have come before the council at least once whether the proposed rule change was in place or not because it required rezoning.
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Important role
Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin sees it differently. He thinks the council should weigh in on both rezoning and the construction plans. “Aldermen and the city council cannot abandon their role in planning communities and leave it up to developers,” he said. “That would be very dangerous to our neighborhood in the long run.”
The council could debate and take a final vote on the proposed changes at its meeting Tuesday.
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Large-scale development projects
Under current rules, any proposed construction project with more than one structure on one-half acre or more, or any development over 5 acres would be considered “large-scale” and go through additional review processes, including approval from the Springfield City Council.
Here are the number of “large-scale development” plans reviewed annually since 2011:
2011: 4
2012: 14
2013: 12
2014: 4
2015: 8
2016: 5
Source: Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission annual report for 2016.
Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 