So, AFAIK, the requested rezoning has not actually happened at this juncture, is that correct?

I can see the play here, go ahead and demolish the structures the community is so attached to so that the scene is set for the ‘might as well rezone it now since they’re gone, no use crying anymore’ card.

As a Galloway resident, I hope the UH folks are able to at the very least cost the developers a great deal of their time/energy/funds to get to their goal.

I understand the point that no one with the funds to live in those houses would have ever wanted to anymore, given the location. That said, the trend toward developers looking at a responsible rezoning as a simple process that is just a bump on the road toward using their new property to its highest and best potential, rather than as an opportunity to build consensus and develop property in a manner that is in kind with its context, is an all too common occurrence in Springfield.

You can look at Galloway and see a developer that bought a property that wasn’t ever even listed on the market for sale, who assumed that a rezoning would be quick and easy, so they could get to the business of erecting apartments blocks in a wholly R-SF area, and printing that money. Our neighborhood isn’t against developing that property. We’re against irresponsible development that is out of character for its surroundings. It could be developed as high end SF homes a lá ‘The Hill’, just past the CVS, or even perhaps some townhomes, and I’d wager there would be little complaint.

A successful re-zoning should not be a foregone conclusion when a developer decides to invest in an area. Cooperation and buy-in from local residents and stake-holders must be a significant part of the process, or this adversarial relationship between the city, its residents, and it’s history, will only continue to get worse.

I mourn the loss of these grand old homes. I hope that the UH neighborhood can come together and be a force that cannot be ignored as the process of redeveloping that corner continues.

And I urge anyone who is a potential voter in the City of Springfield to get out and vote NO on Question 1 when the time comes. Development is important, but it must be done in an informed manner, responsibly with regard to the environment and the surrounding community, and with the consideration and consent of the community.

Vote NO and show the City, the Chamber, the Money Men, that we are informed, unified, and demanding to be included in the processes that ultimately shape our neighborhoods going forward.