Springfield ups efforts to get retail

[jbm32206]

That's true, but from what Lakelander said "two blocks north of the historic district boundaries" so it wouldn't actually be in the historic district.

[downtownparks]

CVS is looking in the district. The dollar store is the one thats outside of it, I believe.

[jbm32206]

Oh, okay...thanks....

[fpj]

CVS is looking in the district. The dollar store is the one thats outside of it, I believe.

Honestly, I am NOT trying to be antagonistic, I think a bit of flu has me all up in #^@*&^@$#&*.  But what's to stop them from dropping a McSuburbia styled store in the midst of one of the used car lots?  From a dollar standpoint, this would seem to be the most expeditious route instead of rehabing an existing building.

[thelakelander]

But what's to stop them from dropping a McSuburbia styled store in the midst of one of the used car lots?

In Springfield, zoning.  Whatever you build can't be more than 10' from the front property line, within the historic district.    Since a parking lot with a drive and one row of stalls is 42', its impossible to build a structure with parking up front.   To get around that, you have to either get a variance or apply for a PUD.  Unfortunately, for most of the urban core, such as the Family Dollar site, this is not a requirement, thus the parking lots.

The city recently revised most of the zoning code.  Now that we're discussing this, it would have been nice if Springfield's building setback requirement would have been extended to other urban core neighborhoods.