Mayor: Neighborhood needs more info on historic nomination

Wants to gives neighbors catch-up time on learning about project.

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By Samantha Sommer, Staff Writer Updated 7:33 AM Wednesday, August 5, 2009

SPRINGFIELD — City commissioners want to make sure neighbors in a proposed historic district have a chance to learn about it.

Commissioners reviewed the process for nominations to the National Register of Historic Places at their meeting Tuesday, Aug. 4.

The Springfield Preservation Alliance has sponsored an application to the Ohio Historic Preservation Office to list the area roughly bound by Limestone Street, Ferncliff Place, and McCreight, Woodlawn, College and Wittenberg avenues as the North Side Historic District on the national register.

Mayor Warren Copeland said he was disappointed neighbors weren’t better included.

So commissioners directed staff members to have the Springfield Historic Landmarks Commission review and gather input on the proposal.

“We are doing some catch-up work here to try to inform the public about what is going on,” Copeland said.

The alliance met with neighbors in the beginning of the process, but they should have included them more throughout, SPA President Kevin Rose said. The alliance also is planning a meeting next month.

The application could strengthen the neighborhood’s identity and stimulate private investment, Rose said.

The nomination has pros and cons, Community Development Director Shannon Meadows said. The positives include recognition and tax credits for some properties. The negatives could be slowing federally funded rehab programs or making them more expensive, she said.

Listing on the national register wouldn’t limit private owners from renovating or even demolishing their properties with private dollars, Meadows said.

In other business, commissioners also approved rezoning 25 acres at 2112 Villa Road to allow 144 apartments and 56 condos targeted at seniors.

Neighbors expressed concerns about it, including traffic and other problems.

The land’s current zoning allows projects that could generate twice as much traffic, said James Peifer, lawyer for Mid-Ohio Development Corp.

Commissioner Karen Duncan was the only no vote, citing the neighbors’ concerns.

“It’s a wonderful project,” she said. “The places look beautiful. I just wish it was someplace else.”

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I think money would be better spend on a long-term plan to renew the city -- one such step is revamping the commissioner/mayor system, and just going with a mayoral system who has to answer to the people. Secondly, I think we'd be better served if new codes were in place to undo the slum-lording that has pretty much taken over the city in single family homes. New codes such as no more dividing dewellings from single to multi as an example! Lets get some change going in this town for once!

Frank
10:18 AM, 8/6/2009

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Some people would rather complain about Springfield than try to do anything at all to make it better. Some people hate this town and themselves so much that they would love nothing more than to see more failure and ugliness. Hate on, haters.

I like the historic districts that have been established in town, and I suspect this one will be as beneficial as the others have been. Drive down S. Fountain today, and you'll see improvements going on every day. Some people choose not to see that.

Springfielder
12:46 AM, 8/6/2009

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Sounds great – do you really think that this will clean this dump of a town up. People here have no idea how other cities work. Everyone here is complacent with the life they have, they don’t want anything better or for it to change. I just wish we had a Mayor and Commissioners that felt the same way and really wanted to clean this town up, not just re-name the trash another name. When it comes down to it trash will always be just that. No need to spend money to get what you already have.

Better Vision Than Most
7:57 PM, 8/5/2009

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The real question is whether the Landmarks Commission would then place the district on their local registry. if they do, then permission would be needed to do just about anything from painting the exterior to demolition. From past instances, they are not very flexible.

tim
12:53 PM, 8/5/2009

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