Chronology of Springfield debate over individual property rights and preserving history

Here is a chronology of a long-standing conflict in Springfield: Should someone other than the owner of a building or property be able to petition the city to have it designated as a historic site?

Or, to phrase it another way: Where do you draw the line when faced with the competing interests of an individual's property rights and a community's desire to preserve its cultural heritage?

1882

The Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis Railroad Company — not the Frisco Railway — built a train depot at Main and Mill streets. The two railroads merged in 1887. In 1901, Frisco closed its Commercial Street depot and used the one at Main and Mill.

1927

Forty-five years later, Frisco tore down the depot and built a new and bigger one at the same location. This new one is a gem. A  March 1927 issue of the Frisco employee magazine described it this way: “Spread spaciously over 13,550 square feet of ground, a beautiful Spanish mission style of modern railroad station, with port cochere front and back, and snow-white stucco gleaming in the Missouri sunlight."

The depot also housed the popular Harvey House restaurant, which at different times was called the Dining Room and the Eating House.

Dec. 9, 1967

The last train left the depot, and the building remained vacant until its demolition years later.

1973

For the first time, buildings were placed on a Springfield Historic Registry. The Shrine Mosque on St. Louis Street was one of several recognized.

1975

The Frisco train depot, vacant and deteriorating, was placed on the Springfield Historic Registry.

March 5, 1977

The second train depot, like the first one, was torn down by the Frisco Railway.

This is the razing that resonates today. The depot had once been magnificent. But no longer. It was vacant for nine years and three months and had deteriorated badly.

The main structure was condemned by the city as unsafe. A Kansas City development company talked about converting the building into a shopping mall but never acquired financing.

Some local historians consider the loss of the depot the most significant missed opportunity of historic restoration in the city's history. In recent weeks, members of the Landmarks Board have referred to the razing of the depot as a reason why sometimes a property owner's permission should not be necessary.

Nov. 12, 1996

The Springfield Landmarks Board was created. It's not the first such board in the city, but rather a successor to the earlier historical site board and historic district review board.

Sept. 9, 1997

City Council denied landmark status for Stone Chapel at Drury University, which did not want it. Drury President John Moore says the university did not need any government intervention in maintaining and protecting the structure, built in 1880. Amid the conflict, the council adopted new rules regarding historic designations, including one that requires a super-majority vote of the council if the owner of the property protests the designation in a process outlined by ordinance.

May 2014

To spur development and growth, the City Council declared 75 acres along the South Lone Pine corridor, in Galloway, as blighted. This gave tax incentives for developers, who jumped at the opportunity to build in the area.

May 2018

Mitchell Jenkins, developer and eventual owner of 3535 S. Lone Pine Ave., filed an application with the city to rezone the land and three adjacent parcels to the north. The building at 3535 S. Lone Pine is 90 years old; was once a gas station and general store; is one of the few remaining older structures in Galloway; and has been significantly altered over the years.

He submitted a mixed-use development plan. Jenkins and his wife, Amanda, own Elevation Development Company.

July 16, 2018

An engineer for the developer met with Galloway residents at Sequiota Park to give an overview of the plan and to answer questions. The plan was met with strong opposition.

Aug. 21, 2018

The developer changed his plans to keep the former Sequiota Bike Shop and to make it  a  "focus" of his development plan.

According to a News-Leader story, more than 100 Galloway residents gathered in the pavilion at Sequiota Park to hear from Jenkins.

Derek Lee with Lee Engineering, representing the developer, insisted that people with questions and concerns speak to representatives of the developer in one-on-one conversations. For a while, people complied. But then the crowd became restless and impatient and began asking for public answers.

“What do you have to hide? Answer our questions,” someone said.

At one point, Mitchell Jenkins stepped in to address the neighbors.

"We love this community and we love this neighborhood,” he began to say.

One man interrupted, “Well, y’all need to leave, we don’t want you here.”

Sept. 13, 2018

Jenkins, the developer, tabled his rezoning application with the city as he met with residents.

Oct. 11, 2018

Jenkins said that for the second time he tabled his rezoning application with the city to meet with residents.

Nov. 1, 2018

For the third time, Jenkins said, he tabled his rezoning application with the city to meet with residents.

November, 2018

The Galloway Village Neighborhood Association is created.

Nov. 5, 2018

The 2014 blighting of the area and subsequent tax breaks created so much growth in Galloway that the City Council voted — at the urging of frustrated Galloway residents —to approve a nine-month moratorium on all requests to combine lots or change zoning. The action froze Jenkins’ request to rezone 3535 S. Lone Pine Ave.

Dec. 14, 2018

The developer bought the four adjacent parcels across from Sequiota Park: 3503, 3527, 3521 and 3535 S. Lone Pine Ave.

March 20, 2019

The Galloway Village Neighborhood Association asked the Landmarks Board, an advisory body to the City Council, to nominate 3530 S. Lone Pine Ave. as a historic site.

March 22, 2019

Jenkins was informed by city staff that the neighborhood association had submitted the property for review as a historic site.

May 6, 2019

Jenkins submitted a letter to the Landmarks Board: “I do not support or commit to the nomination. I feel as though it is a threat to our owners’ property rights.”

May 8, 2019

The Landmarks Board voted 7-0 to designate 3535 S. Lone Pine Ave., in Galloway, as a historic site.

June 3, 2019                   

City Council voted 5-4 to deny historic status for 3535 S. Lone Pine Ave., citing concerns that the owner opposed the designation. The developer has listed the property for sale.

August 2019                   

The moratorium on development in Galloway will end.