Springfield City Council tables University Heights rezoning resolution

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Members of the University Heights community are feeling surprised and relieved after tonight's city council meeting.

City Council was once again scheduled to discuss rezoning over 2.5 acres of property near the intersection of Sunshine Street and National Avenue after the previous rezoning bill failed to pass in October. After the bill didn't pass, a six-month waiting period was put into place before it could be brought before the City Council again, so it came as a shock to many that the resolution was back on Monday's agenda.

"I was angry, and so were many of the people in our neighborhood," says Jeff Carney, Board President of the University Heights Neighborhood Association. "All the people I talked to, we only found out about it this weekend after voting it down at the last council meeting."

Brandon Jenson was the council member who re-introduced the resolution for this meeting, saying he met with the developer to review significant changes to the development plan.

"While I believe this would have been a win for the neighborhood and our community, I've spoken with trusted advisers and community leaders, and I will be withdrawing my sponsorship for this new," said Jenson.

Carney says he is happy to see Councilman Jenson have a change of mind.

"I'm pleased with what happened. Councilman Jensen withdrew his support of the bill, his sponsorship, and they've tabled the sponsor," Carney said. "They've tabled the bill until next meeting on January 15th. But if nobody picks up the sponsorship, then it's dead."

Springfield residents who are not in the University Heights community also came to the meeting upset that the resolution made its way onto the agenda. David Trippe, President of the Phelps Neighborhood Association, says if this resolution was discussed, it would have set a bad example.

"It affects every neighborhood in Springfield. We don't want bad behavior rewarded. And this would have been rewarding bad behavior," says Trippe.

Now that there is no longer a City Council member sponsoring the resolution, it has been tabled until the next meeting on Jan. 13.