Developer, Springfield council at odds with Galloway neighbors over proposed historic site

Members of Springfield's Galloway neighborhood found themselves at odds once again with a developer and the Springfield City Council over a failed attempt to add a 90-year-old former filling station and general store to the city's list of historic sites. 

Armed with the unanimous support of the city's Landmarks Board, the Galloway Village Neighbors came to council Monday night asking to help preserve 3535 S. Lone Pine Ave., which most recently housed the One of a Kind store. 

Neighborhood residents said the white building and its offshoots, constructed in 1929, were a key gathering place for the community and one of the last vestiges of a time before the area was undergoing heavy development. 

But the neighbors didn't have the support of the property owner, Mitchell Jenkins of Elevation Development Co., which proved to be the deciding factor in their resolution's demise. 

Jenkins told council he didn't want the historical designation because he planned to sell the property and he hadn't known about the neighborhood's application until April. 

"I feel that this is a threat to our owner’s property rights," he said. "This is concerning for us in an area of the community that eagerly desires growth."

Last year, Jenkins purchased the property across from Sequiota Park with the intention of building a mixed-use development with apartments and retail space.

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But his proposal galvanized the neighborhood to fight back, in part because his initial renderings included razing the historic Sequiota Bike Shop building.

Council eventually put Jenkins' project on hold when it placed a nine-month moratorium on development in the area and gave the neighbors time to outline a plan for approved development.

The moratorium is set to expire next month, and neighbors said they wanted extra insurance for their beloved historic buildings, like the former Treadway’s General Store & Gas Station.

The historic site designation doesn't protect the building forever, and it doesn't require the property owner's consent.

Once a building is on the Springfield Historic Register, any attempts to alter the exterior or demolish the building require approval by the city's Landmarks Board. If the board denies those plans, the property owner must wait 60 days to apply for the necessary permits. 

Several council members said they were conflicted about accepting the neighborhood's application given the importance of history and the apparent lack of communication between the parties. But they couldn't hold the resolution for another meeting due to council rules. 

Councilman Craig Hosmer wasn't conflicted, however. He said the store was important to the neighborhood and the developer should be sensitive to the history and character of the place. 

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"One of the things that was good about Galloway was the charm that those old buildings have, and to build another apartment complex … I think in a way, we as a city are doing something where we can never go back," he said. 

Mayor Ken McClure also didn't mince words, calling the tactics by the neighborhood "disrespectful." 

"Not to reach out to the property owner in advance ... in my opinion is not appropriate and is inexcusable," he said. 

But Ron Boles, a member of the Galloway Village neighborhood, said in an interview it stung to hear the mayor speak that way. 

"We weren't trying to be unethical," he said. "We weren't trying to be deceiving or malicious. We were going by the letter of the law and what little advice we have to go by. There's not exactly a playbook on this." 

Jenkins didn't respond to a request for comment Tuesday. 

But at the meeting, he described the neighbors as unwilling to work with him on his previous projects even when he decided to make the Sequiota Bike Shop a "focal point" of his development. 

"We held a ... neighborhood meeting that unfortunately had to stop short due to the hostility," he said. 

Boles said he was frustrated the neighborhood didn't get to rebut that characterization in front of council since Jenkins was the last speaker. 

"We can agree to disagree, but I don't know what kind of picture he's trying to paint making us out to be the thugs," he said. "It's just sad to see something dismissed, and it's sad to see Galloway going away." 

When it came time to vote, the Galloway neighbors initially thought they had gotten their way — five members of council, including Mayor McClure, voted in favor of the resolution. 

Then McClure, who had been clear in his intention to vote no, realized he had voted "yes" in error and moved to reconsider the vote. The majority of council obliged, and the final vote had four council members in favor. 

Ultimately, council voted 5-4 against putting the property on the Springfield Historic Register. Zone 4 Councilman Matthew Simpson, Zone 2 Councilman Mike Schilling and general Councilmen Andrew Lear and Hosmer voted in favor of it.