Standing Room Only At Springfield City Council Over Hotel Development
A room full of mostly neighbors packed out Springfield City Council chambers, concerned about a proposed hotel development just outside Millwood Golf & Country Club.
The owner of Springfield's two Hampton Inns wants to put a third one at Farmers Branch Road and Evans Road, just off Highway 65. The site is already zoned commercial, but Earl Steinert wants to be able to expand the hotel's footprint and needs Council approval to do that.
Steinert says as it is now, he could build a 60-room hotel on the property. But he says that's not economically feasible, so he's asking for the capability to build 106 rooms.
Of the neighbors at the meeting, a dozen spoke to Council. Many of them talked about the height of the proposed hotel, saying they don't want a five-story building towering over their neighborhood. Some suggested their property values would suffer.
Nearly all of them said they would not have bought or built homes in Millwood if the property in question had been zoned like the developer wants.
Supporters argue that a hotel could serve families of patients at Mercy's new Orthopaedic Hospital being built across the highway. They also say the hotel's construction would provide a few temporary jobs in addition to around 40 full-time positions once it's open.
Council will vote on the issue at its next meeting.
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