Category Archives: News

HWSNA Advocacy to Protect and Preserve Our Neighborhood: Updates & Zoning

W. Lawrence and South MacArthur Boulevard Renovation

The City of Springfield is in the process of finalizing plans to widen the intersection and expects implementation to begin next year 2025.

1301 W. Washington: et seq. West Washington Apartments

There has been no productive change in the condition of this property. Owners are facing several violations related to the lack of maintenance and the lack of progress on redevelopment.

4th Residence Above Garage withdrawn after HWSNA and Neighborhood opposition.

The HWSNA provided also provided testimony in June 2024 in relation to a zoning petition @ 203 N. Glenwood.

This petition requested variances to enable the continued illegal use of the lower level of a garage as the 4th residence on the property. A prior variance had been granted in 1996 to allow a residence on the upper level only, but it was since developed for the additional residence on the lower level without any formal authorization. The HWSNA joined with other neighbors in opposition to this petition, and this caused the petition to be withdrawn. An additional residence was considered a too intensive use of the property, especially considering the need for additional parking and property maintenance.

1149 West Edwards: Zoning Classification Change

In January 2022, the HWSNA testified before the Springfield Planning & Zoning Commission in OPPOSITION to a petition requesting a change in the zoning classification, as well as variances for parking, for the property located at 1149 West Edwards, to enable the property to be leased for the purpose of the establishment and operation of a specialty (Italian) food store.

The HWSNA expressed concern that a general and permanent reclassification was too broad and could enable more intensive land uses in the future beyond the specialty food store.

The Commission approved the petition as submitted.

The HWSNA took no formal position when the petition was considered by the Springfield City Council in February, which subsequently approved the petition.

NOTE: As of October 8, 2024, there has been no apparent alteration or development of the property with respect to the establishment of the food store. Alternatively, a Massage Therapy service is now operating on the site.

DeWeese Family wins ICON Good Neighbor Award for Individual for their urban beautification efforts on Lawrence-MacArthur vacant lot

The DeWeese Family were awarded the Good Neighbor Award for Individual at the 2022 Springfield Inner City Older Neighborhood's Annual Celebration.
Kurt & Diana DeWeese

Historic West Side Vice President Kurt DeWeese and his wife Diana DeWeese (and their daughter Marissa) were awarded the Good Neighbor Award for Individual at the 2022 Springfield Inner City Older Neighborhood’s Annual Celebration for their work to keep the vacant lot on the southeast corner of Lawrence & MacArthur from being commercialized.

Many thanks to ICON for the award!

“Kurt DeWeese is no stranger to the Springfield City Council or to zoning issues, and he has been an outspoken opponent of up-zoning and spot zoning that would damage the character of residential neighborhoods.

“So when he spoke against a zoning change to allow a parking lot on the southeast corner of Lawrence and MacArthur, it was no surprise that his well-researched history and arguments against the rezoning would help the council decide to deny the changes.

“What may have been a surprise to many was what happened next. The DeWeese family purchased the vacant lot, located just two blocks from their home in the Historic West Side Neighborhood Association, keeping it safe from future commercial development.”

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HWSNA Advocacy to Protect and Preserve Our Neighborhood: City Council Denies Parking Lot on South MacArthur, Zoning Commission Denies Privacy Fence, Zoning Requires Privacy Fence Setback

In 2022, The HWSNA has reviewed and provided testimony before the Springfield Planning & Zoning Commission in OPPOSITION to two petitions seeking to erect large non-forming privacy fences on side yards of properties located on street corners. The decisions of the Springfield Planning & Zoning Commission in these 2 cases was FINAL without review by the Springfield City Council.

  1. In January 2022, the Springfield Planning & Zoning Commission denied a petition for a 0%-open privacy fence for 957 Williams Boulevard that was temporarily too close to the property line. The City Code requires any such fence to be 50%-open. The Commission adopted a motion that requires additional setback. The petitioner has since complied with the standard by making the existing fence 50%-open.
  2. In March 2022, the Planning & Zoning Commission allowed a 0-% open fence for 1001 Williams Boulevard, but required that it be setback 8 feet from the property line. The petitioner in this case appears to be installing a total privacy fence within the required setback

The HWSNA also provided testimony for a Zoning Petition for a proposed parking lot.

On March of 2022 the HWSNA testified in OPPOSITION to a petition considered by the Springfield Planning & Zoning Commission to convert vacant property located at 800 South MacArthur Boulevard to a paved parking lot, together with variances to not provide landscaping or lighting.

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2007: “Lawrence & MacArthur: Focus on deterrence in bid to make intersections safer”

By Kurt DeWeese
State Journal-Register, Published Wednesday, June 13, 2007

The Historic Westside Neighborhood Association (HWSNA) shares everyone’s concern about traffic safety and will support reasonable, prudent solutions to the problems at the MacArthur/Lawrence and Walnut/Lawrence intersections.

We do not oppose change. We support growth and development in the area, if it can be accomplished with the least disruption to the environment and with full consideration of the quality of life for area residents. We sincerely hope that there is not a rush to judgment, nor endorsement of the straight-line thinking of traffic engineers who only recommend major capital improvement of the intersections as the highest and most immediate priority.

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