FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The City of Springfield is moving forward with the next phase of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, Forward SGF. The Planning & Development Department unveiled plans for the Comprehensive Cit Code Update at City Council’s Tuesday work session. The Planning and Zoning Commission was also in attendance.
The Comprehensive City Code Update will include updating a series of City Codes that regulate the development of land and installation of public infrastructure. Among others, this effort will include updating Chapter 36 Land Development Code (Zoning Code and Subdivision Regulations), of the City’s Municipal Code. Specifically, updates to the land development code regulations include Article II, Subdivision Regulations, and Article III, Zoning Regulations, and Article V, Building Code, as well as design standards administered by the Departments of Public Works and Environmental Services. The last comprehensive updates to these codes were in 1995, although various amendments have been made over the years to accommodate changing development trends and consumer preferences.
“Updating the City’s development codes is a significant step toward implementing numerous recommendations outlined in the Comprehensive Plan,” Principal Planner Randall Whitman explained. “Rather than revisiting policy issues and the direction on the type of community Springfieldians want the city to be, this effort will focus on how to implement the guiding principle of Quality of Place through a regulatory lens.”
In addition to refining the influence the City has on the design and use of public and private property, this project will look at a variety of regulatory strategies, and alternative development processes and planning methods to streamline and increase flexibility, reduce community stress, and deliver more integrated projects with a higher community return.
Community engagement and receiving feedback throughout the process will be a priority. The City will create Place Teams to facilitate meaningful, effective, and efficient engagement for discussion of changes to the City’s land development regulations. The teams will be comprised of stakeholders and representative constituencies related to the specific context, and associated issues, in Springfield. Those interested in participating on a Place Team are asked to complete an online form.
Place Teams will Include:
- Neighborhoods – residents, owners and renters, neighborhood organization leaders, institutions, housing developers, and builders – new and rehabilitation. This group will engage in discussion regarding both the Residential and Mixed Residential neighborhoods Place Types.
- Destinations – property and business owners, business organizations, advocacy groups, institutions, and residents. This group will engage in discussion regarding both the Downtown and Mixed-Use Place Types. A specific group focused on Downtown may be created if necessary.
- Corridors – property and business owners, residents and neighborhood interests, institutions specific to the commercial and mixed-use corridors within the city. This group will engage in discussion regarding the City Corridor Place Types.
- Employment – employers, property and business owners, institutions specific to employment areas within the city. This group will engage in discussion regarding the Institutional & Employment Center, Business Flex, Industry and Logistics Place Types.
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For more information, please contact Cora Scott, director of Public Information & Civic Engagement at 417-380-3352 or [email protected].