At the last council meeting two weeks ago, neighbors voiced concerns over the traffic impacts of the 510-unit proposal. Opponents also successfully submitted a protest petition, requiring a supermajority for the rezoning to pass.
Members of council found the development consistent with Forward SGF's housing directives but expressed concern about the problem of urban sprawl.
"At some point we're going to have to draw a line in the sand," said Brandon Jenson. "But until we can drive that market shift, the need for housing is too great."
The lone 'no' vote was Craig Hosmer who argued that council needed to more aggressively prioritize central city densification.
"We're taking farmland on the outskirts of the city of Springfield and building [an] apartment complex," remarked Hosmer. "No city planner looking at this objectively would say that's a good idea. Nobody. We let developers plan our city."
More approvals from city council will be required throughout the development process — the final plat, for example.
"There's been quite a bit of constructive work behind the scenes between the developer and neighborhood representatives," said Heather Hardinger. "I hope some of that meaningful progress will be reflected when we receive the final development moving forward."