Panhandle proposal withdrawn
by MICHAEL J. MISHAK
The owners of a 41-acre tract of open space in the Springfield Panhandle have withdrawn their proposal to rezone the land for an age-restricted community. According to a Dec. 2 letter from the landowners' attorney, Frank W. Jenkins, to Springfield Township Manager Donald Berger, owners Frederick Tecce and Mary Ann Frampton are considering "alternate development possibilities."
The move preceded a Dec. 8 meeting where the township's board of commissioners was expected to announce its decision on the rezoning request, which sought to amend a sprawl-limiting zoning designation known as AAA.
If granted, the rezoning would have paved the way for developer James A. Nolen III and his plan to build an age-restricted community, consisting of three buildings -- each housing 24 condominiums -- and 64 twin homes. The proposal met significant community opposition at a public hearing in October. More than 100 people attended, many waiting hours to formally register their disapproval.
The Friends of the Springfield Panhandle, a conservation group claiming more than 200 members, led the challenge. The group, represented by legal counsel, contended that the Tecce request amounted to "spot zoning," a practice, often ruled by courts to be illegal, in which zoning amendments benefit a sole property without clear benefit to the public. Also, the group considered the Nolen plan inconsistent with both the character of the community and the township's 1998 comprehensive plan.
"It closes this chapter," said Brennan Priene, president of the Friends group. "But there will be more to the story."
By withdrawing their request before the board of commissioners took any official action, the Tecce tract owners have quashed the debate on triple-A challenges. Without a clear stance on the issue, the board has left the door open for future rezoning requests, Priene said.
In the meantime, Priene said his group hopes to work with the Tecce owners to find a solution that "meets everyone's needs."
