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Springfield city commissioners will wait two more weeks to vote on the rezoning of a proposed coffee shop and apartment complex near the campus of Wittenberg University.
The rezoning request for the property at 27 W. Cassilly St. was scheduled for a vote this week but was held at the request of the applicant, Springfield City Manager Jim Bodenmiller said. The rezoning will now be heard at commission’s Nov. 22 meeting.
A public hearing was held at the commission meeting on Oct. 25.
>>RELATED: Kroger plans approved by Springfield commissioners
City staff members recommended approving the rezoning from campus district to a neighborhood commercial district. It was also approved by the City Planning Board this summer. The first floor would be a retail coffee shop, while the second floor would be residential.
The property, built in 1906, was purchased for $6,000 earlier this summer by Springfield residents Andy and Jamie Cason, according to public documents.
The coffee shop will contribute to the revitalization of Springfield and Wittenberg, according to the Cason’s application. The house was poorly maintained in the past, it says.
“Our plans remove an eyesore and replace it with something of value for our community,” the application says.
Springfield City Commissioner Kevin O’Neill and university leaders spoke out about concerns about traffic at the proposed coffee shop, particularly trucks driving on the narrow curve through a residential neighborhood at the corner of Cassilly and Woodlawn Avenue.
Wittenberg Vice President of Finance and Administration Randy Freebourn also spoke out about what type of development could be allowed with the commercial zoning. A larger structure could affect the residential neighborhood, he said.
Next week city commissioners will hold their annual budget meetings at the City Hall Forum conference room on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m.
The final two commission meetings of the year will be held on Dec. 6 and Dec. 20.
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