To ICON members and participants:
We will hold our April meeting next Monday, 7 p.m. at the First Church of the Brethren. You don’t want to miss this one even if it snows again!
Norm Sims, Executive Director of the SSCRPC, will join with us to explain the procedures followed in reviewing request for waivers to current zoning codes. The issue of zoning waivers has created concern in a number of our older neighborhoods. The Steering Committee feels we need to increase our knowledge and involvement in this process.
Download “Considering Spot Zoning”…
In addition, Kevin Greene with the Springfield Bicycle Club will bring us up to date on the proposed plan for bicycle paths in the city and there connection countywide with other communities. It seems every study done (R-DAT,S-DAT, CLUE) on how Springfield can become more viable concludes we need different traffic patterns and enhanced biking and walking paths. For some reason this plan is on hold. We need to find out why and what we can do to get it moving.
Speaking of traffic, ICON’s support of a 1% sales tax increase to enhance the infrastructure of the city was defeated by one swing vote. The Council did approve a .5% increase, however, that will only help fill 325 miles of pot holes for the next three years. There is no money in the ordinance for maintaining the other 325 miles and certainly none for any new projects. The city will still be in a catch up mode during the next two years of this Councils tenure. We’re not going to get ahead of the curve.
In addition to our fight to get the garbage ordinance changed, we have work ahead of us for the next two years to find leadership that has a greater vision of how to create more viable neighborhoods as the core of our historic city.
Steve