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Should a ‘pretty’ self-storage unit be added to Springfield’s Galloway neighborhood? City Council will decide.

KSMU | By Gregory Holman

Published August 12, 2022 at 5:00 AM CDT

A rendering shows a self-storage business proposed by developer Sam Coryell for a location just east of Township 28 apartments in southeast Springfield's Galloway neighborhood.

Nearly a decade ago, developer Sam Coryell helped kickstart rapid growth in Springfield’s Galloway neighborhood by building the Township 28 apartments. The project followed a 2014 plan to spiff up the South Lone Pine Avenue corridor, which had been deemed a blighted area by the city. Now Coryell wants to build a self-storage business near his apartments — but not everyone is on board.

Does Springfield’s trendy Galloway neighborhood need a self-storage business?

City Council held a 45-minute public hearing this week on whether to authorize a conditional use permit for that type of business.

Coryell wants to build a one-and-a-half level storage unit on a small street just east of Township 28. He says the folks who rent his apartments want extra space for their personal stuff. He also argues that the storage unit would look nice, fit the neighborhood — and be highly secure.

"Being the owner of Township 28, I want pretty things in Galloway Village. So we have every intention of achieving aesthetic quality," Coryell told City Council on Aug. 8.

Sam Coryell spoke to Springfield City Council on Aug. 8, 2022 in support of his proposed self-storage business in the Galloway neighborhood.

But last month, Springfield’s Planning & Zoning Commission voted against the proposal, 3-to-2. Nearby Galloway homeowners spoke out against the project this week. And officials with a competing Galloway complex called QuarryTown — located just south of Coryell’s Township 28 — told City Council they don’t think Coryell’s storage unit would fit the neighborhood.

QuarryTown is linked to Springfield entrepreneur Matt O’Reilly. Property manager Jamie Thomas spoke to City Council this week.

“Dropping a storage unit facility in this location does not align with the village feel, which conflicts directly with the Galloway guidelines.”

The neighborhood has been wracked by controversy over the years. New urban developments like Township 28 and QuarryTown brought an influx of residents and car traffic to the once-quiet area.

Two months ago, a Missouri appeals judge admonished the city of Springfield in a ruling that it must conduct an election this November over whether yet another mixed-use development near Sequiota Park should go forward.

Meanwhile, City Council is expected to vote on Coryell’s storage unit proposal on August 22.