Images courtesy Elevation Development Co.
Entrepreneur
Springfield Treadway Development
We asked City Utilities and the City of Springfield how the proposed Treadway development might impact utilities in the Galloway neighborhood.
by Lucie Amberg
Oct 18 2022 at 2 p.m.
This blog was updated with new information on 10-19-2022.
Last week, Biz 417 broke the news that Springfield restaurateur Joshua Widner is now a partner in Treadway, the mixed-use development proposed for Springfield’s Galloway neighborhood. Mitch Jenkins of Elevation Development Co., the developer seeking to build Treadway on South Lone Pine Avenue, says Widner has been “brought on to be the curator of all hospitality, shopping and retail components.”
When we shared this news on social media, some readers raised questions about the effect the Treadway development might have on utilities infrastructure and service in the Galloway neighborhood. This seems like a natural concern. If someone proposes a new project in your neighborhood, it’s reasonable to wonder how it will affect services you rely on. So we reached out to the City of Springfield and City Utilities and asked these questions.
Here’s what we learned.
From the City of Springfield’s Department of Environmental Services
We asked City of Springfield Professional Engineer Tim Schoenhoff if the proposed Treadway development will negatively impact sewer systems in the Galloway area. He told us, “Our sewer system has enough capacity for this development, for sure.” When we asked a second time, he said, “We have more than enough capacity for this development.”
He also told us that by the time building permits for any development are approved, the project has undergone several review steps to evaluate its impact on city systems and the capability of those systems to serve both the proposed development and the surrounding neighborhood. Even in the early, pre-development phase—“before you put pen to paper,” as Schoenhoff said, the City of Springfield assesses capacity.
From the City of Springfield’s Public Works Department
City of Springfield Professional Engineer Kirkland Preston told us something similar when we asked about stormwater. “There’s quite a number of eyeballs on a set of plans before it’s approved for construction,” he said. Preston said that the plans for any development, not just Treadway, would need to meet specific requirements. “If it’s an approved set of plans, there are multiple departments in the city that have approved it,” Preston said.
In the case of the Treadway development, he said there would be a requirement to incorporate a stream buffer and that other downstream improvements, such as enlarging a box culvert, could be made. The objective, Preston said, is that people downstream wouldn’t experience a change.
From City Utilities
Joel Alexander, manager of media and energy services at City Utilities, told us, “We have no concerns.”
“We’ve built out the system in that area and throughout Springfield to handle growth as Springfield continues to grow,” Alexander said. “So really the impact on the electric, gas, the water portion of this isn’t something that we’re overly concerned about. It’s just part of the city growing and us keeping up with the economic side and the growth needs for that.”
Regarding broadband capability, Alexander said that City Utilities is still in the process of installing its second round of fiber optic cables in the Galloway area. If the Treadway development goes forward, it’s not anticipated to affect this process. “Bottom line: We feel like everything’s going to go just as normal,” Alexander said.
Alexander added that, from the perspective of City Utilities, “Economic development is good for the city. It’s good for the region. We want to make sure that our community continues to grow and be viable as we move into the future.”
About Question 1
The rezoning for the Treadway development is subject to approval by voter referendum. This will be listed as “Question 1” on the Springfield ballot November 8. If a majority of voters choose “yes” on Question 1, the Treadway development can proceed. If a majority of voters choose "no" on Question 1, this will reject a City Council decision that approved a zoning change that's necessary for the Treadway development.
The language on the Springfield ballot and additional information about this issue are available here.
Joshua Widner of Good Spirits & Company is now a partner in Treadway, the mixed-use development proposed for Springfield’s Galloway neighborhood. Mitch Jenkins of Elevation Development Co., the developer seeking to build Treadway on South Lone Pine Avenue, says Widner has been “brought on to be the curator of all hospitality, shopping and retail components.”
417-landers know Widner as an owner of destinations like Cherry Picker Package x Fare, Golden Girl Rum Club, Best of Luck Beer Hall and Sweet Boy’s Neighborhood Bar. Jenkins says Widner is the ideal choice to “create a distinct and hospitable space.” Jenkins anticipates that Widner will own and operate one or two new restaurants at Treadway, while also curating the remaining shops and businesses that are part of the development.
The plans for Treadway provide Widner with plenty of space to work with. The development’s designs include four existing buildings that Jenkins says will be utilized for commercial space. These buildings include:
• The building that once housed Treadway’s General Store & Gas Station (3535 South Lone Pine Ave.)
• A cabin behind the Treadway’s General Store building
• A building at 3527 South Lone Pine Ave.
• A building at 3521 South Lone Pine Ave. (site of the former Sequiota Bike Shop.)
Images courtesy Elevation Development Co.
Images courtesy Elevation Development Co.
Images courtesy Elevation Development Co.
Images courtesy Elevation Development Co.
Images courtesy Elevation Development Co.
Images courtesy Elevation Development Co.
The fate of these structures is one of the issues that arose during Jenkins’s conversations with Galloway area residents. It’s well documented that some of these conversations have been contentious, and the rezoning for the Treadway development is subject to approval by a voter referendum, which is on the Springfield ballot November 8.
Regardless of the character of the interactions, Jenkins says that his discussions with Galloway residents led to a thoughtful design plan. “The development that you see today is the reflection of collaborations with the neighborhood,” Jenkins says. In addition to the preservation of the four buildings mentioned above, Jenkins says that Treadway’s building permits are contingent on the following commitments:
• 100 mature trees that are currently on the property to be protected
• 500 new native species plants to be planted
• An additional 29 trees to be planted.
We reached out to the City of Springfield for comment and verification. Cora Scott, Springfield’s director of public information and civic engagement, provided the following information:
• Regarding the buildings, Scott said, “The proposed Planned Development is proposing to preserve the existing structures (Treadway Building, Purple Shamrock and Sequiota Bike Shop) located at 3521, 3527 and 3535 S. Lone Pine Avenue to preserve and rehabilitate following the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and minimum maintenance requirements.”
• Regarding the trees to be preserved, Scott told us the correct number is 102 trees. She referred us to page 119 of the Treadway building plan.
• Regarding the native species plants, Scott referred us to page 119 of the plan, which indicates that 552 shrubs are to be planted. The breakdown is listed as 54 buffer yard shrubs, six perimeter shrubs, 173 plants for a vegetative parking screen, and 319 other proposed shrubs to be shown on the final landscaping plan.
• Scott also provided the following information related to trees: “All existing trees of 6-inch caliper or greater shall be preserved or replaced with 2-inch caliper trees in accordance with the attached site plan and the city ordinance with at least 7 trees per acre.”
Jenkins says these commitments and the collaboration with Widner, who’s known for creating intentional spaces with a hyper-local focus, demonstrate the level of care he and his wife Amanda have put into the plans for Treadway. “I hope people would understand that Amanda and I are deeply rooted in this community and we truly care about this community,” he says. “Springfield as a whole and specifically Galloway village.”
Widner says he’s excited by the prospect of opening businesses in Galloway and replicating the neighborhood atmosphere of spots like Cherry Picker. “[At Cherry Picker], we see people for coffee in the morning, lunch in the afternoon and drinks at night,” Widner says. “That’s an exciting thing to happen in your community.”
