Comprehensive plan is Springfield's pressing need

I am writing in response to "A map for Springfield's future, long overdue, will set the city on a new path" by Alissa Zhu, published Dec. 2, 2018.

"Fundamental to the ability of the general populace or the community to do anything about the urban environment, to shape it in accordance with principles and thought-out objectives is some idea for a blueprint for growth — the master plan."

"... official and legal by state statutes and acceptable by the courts as a basis to defend against legal challenge of enacted land controls..."
— Herbert H. Smith, The Citizens Guide to Planning

All Springfield neighborhoods need accepted neighborhood plans ASAP. The Comprehensive Plan is THE most important public work for citizens of Springfield. Legal standing for neighborhoods is increasingly necessary, as we have recently seen what City Council thinks of the neighborhood wishes of Galloway. Had the citizens of Galloway enacted a neighborhood plan, they would have had greater standing to object to City Council regarding recent land use changes.

Alissa opens up a nice big can of worms with this article. While not entirely accurate as far as the explanation of a comprehensive plan, she gets the history right from Mr. Whitman. What Whitman did not say, for ethical reasons, is how our last excuse of a city manager Greg Burris gutted the planning department of some eight responsible for long-term planning. Nefarious, I believe, but who is to say.

I can say, however, that in the years Burris was in charge, neighborhoods fell into steep decline, largely ignored by the city, even throughout the "Zone 1 Blitz" paraded by Burris as his 'listening tour' of 11 neighborhoods. Indeed, Burris stated repeatedly there was no money, no help for Zone 1.

Through these years, with Burris at the helm, the city Planning Department exploited federal HUD funds for downtown projects. There was plenty of money for downtown, south Springfield projects and economic development projects, but zero money for poor neighborhoods experiencing the city's worst poverty, crime, fire, storm damage, vacant houses, homelessness, etc. Now is the time to correct the wrongs of this disastrous municipal administration exacerbated by years of neglect.

The city CANNOT outsource their duty: to create and maintain the Comprehensive Plan. Whitman states some expense of hiring a consultant at some half million dollars... this is unacceptable. Outsourcing city employee work is UNACCEPTABLE. Why do we pay highly trained staff and reward them with pensions to outsource their work? Who knows our city better than our own administrators and planners? We would be better off hiring a team of planning student graduates straight out of Missouri State University's Urban Planning Department to do the work!

Alissa stated this work is 20 years overdue, and Mary Lilly Smith knows it. She has known it for the last 20 years because she was there when it was created in the mid-1990s. I want to know WHY Smith allowed this to languish while promoting economic development for so many years! Now, as director of planning for the last several years, Smith continually balks at renewing the comprehensive plan, at least at every public meeting I have asked her about it.

You see, I am an urban planner, a proud 2015 graduate of our own MSU Planning Department, one of only a handful of undergraduate studio-based planning programs in the nation. I am not billing myself as an expert, but I am knowledgeable enough to know what has been going on here in Springfield when it comes to a Comprehensive Plan.

I have learned enough to know that increasing poverty and homelessness, combined with declining neighborhoods, equates to high crime rates, low education rates and lowered property value across the north and west sides of Springfield. This is not sustainable! Something must be done, and the Comprehensive Plan is the very first step.

Do not allow that step to be taken by some stranger from outside the city. People wouldn't let a stranger watch their house; why do we want a stranger planning future Springfield? Outside consultants have no vested interest in our city, and I am certain the stranger watching your house will do a really good job ... cheap, too.

As the next mayor of Springfield, I will ensure Springfieldians have the Comprehensive Plan we create and build as our own. Included will be neighborhood plans for established neighborhoods and establishment of new neighborhoods wishing to do the same. I stand for neglected citizens, impoverished neighborhoods and quality public service. The Queen City deserves nothing less.