Galloway residents still concerned about future development in proposed neighborhood plan

Katie Kull
News-Leader
A look down Lone Pine Avenue near the Galloway Creek development.

City leaders are poised to approve a plan for the Galloway neighborhood just as developers once again get the green light to build in the area. 

But that doesn't mean residents will be happy about it.  

In March, city staff started working to build a road map for the future of the corridor along Lone Pine Avenue south of Battlefield Road — an area that was for months a source of controversy when developers rapidly started building in the once quaint, tree-lined village on the city's southeast side. 

The idea was to create guidelines with input from residents and people who frequently use the area, and Galloway Village Neighborhood Association President Marcie Kirkup said she and the neighbors felt good about making personal relationships with city staff and figuring out how decisions were made along the way. 

A number of shops line Lone Pine Avenue in the Galloway neighborhood.

But they weren't as pleased about the city's proposed zoning and land use guidelines, which Kirkup said could leave the area open to more four-story, high-density apartment complexes like ones vehemently opposed by neighbors in the past. 

"Some of the specifics leave us vulnerable (to future high-density development)," Kirkup said. "It's going to be an ongoing discussion." 

Senior City Planner Olivia Hough told council the plan would help preserve the village feel in other ways, such as prohibiting digital signs, regulating building facades to fit with the character of the area and requiring parking to be located behind new developments. 

But some residents were still opposed. After one neighborhood meeting, 46 percent of 68 attendees who turned in comments had negative feedback about the plan. 

Much of the opposition, Hough said, was based on a desire to restrict building heights and apartments. 

"There are just some folks that don't want any apartments whatsoever, or any new development," she said. 

Kirkup pushed back slightly on Tuesday, saying most residents aren't opposed to all development. Their main concern, she said, was the large-scale housing complexes. 

She said she was pleased with some of the proposals, too, including pledges to protect tree canopies and parks, enhance well-loved Greenway trails and improve traffic flow in the area. 

Hough said the city would continue to find ways to improve the area with a larger, citywide comprehensive planning process that kicked off earlier this summer. 

The city will continue to receive feedback about the draft plan over the next several weeks. Then, City Council will take a vote on whether to amend or accept it in its current form.

The building that used to house Sequiota Bike Shop is located at 3521 S. Lone Pine Ave.

The neighborhood plan is the latest development in a history of Galloway residents pushing back against the city and developers in recent years. 

In 2017, the Springfield City Council voted to put an 18-month delay on new development after residents pushed back against rapid growth in the area.

Last month, Galloway residents met the ire of a developer and some council members when they tried to make a former Galloway general store and gas station a historic site without the consent of the building owner (city rules allow such designations to be made without owner permission).