4A EWS -L EADER fire Wednesday. One firefighter spoke to paramedics after overheating, a fire department official told the News-Leader. The probable cause statement said Gaba was arrested after he was located on a nearby street by Springfield police. I guess I burnt my whole house Gaba told jail personnel, the statement said. Gaba has been charged with second degree arson, a felony.
Greene County prosecutors have requested for bond to be set at $10,000. The bond document said Gaba allegedly lit his former residence on fire the apparent motive of Revenge Continued from Page 1A SUBMITTED PHOTO Afire burns in ahome in Springfield's Grant Beach neighborhood. Webb and others have objected to, saying they meet all HUD guidelines and they will make a big difference to people with low-to-moderate income in Springfield. The letter, penned by Springfield resident Linda Simkins, will also be forwarded to HUD as public comments as the federal department considers approving the plan for spending grants. The public comment period for the plan will end July 18.
The group of citizens offered alist of different projects the money should be used for. They included building and equipping a new fire station in West Central Springfield, prioritizing building sidewalks and making playground improvements and addressing other issues such as slum, blight, mental health and substance abuse. They are asking City Council members to amend the spending plan before the final version is due to be filed with HUD in August. The letter argues that the new suggestions do a better job of meeting national objectives for the program, including benefiting low-to-moderate income people and eliminating slums and blight. Webb said, are asking (city leaders) to address health and safety hazards and they would rather make a park on the Southside of town prettier.
the wrong way to use HUD Director of Planning and Development Mary Lilly Smith refuted some of the claims made in the letter. think we have a good project Smith said. absolutely meets HUD eligibility. There is some geographic dispersion to serve low-to-moderate income populations throughout the City spokesperson Cora Scott said, a misconception poverty only exists in northwest Smith pointed out a portion of HUD funds are proposed to pay for improvements north Springfield neighbors have been requesting for years, such as building bathrooms in Tom Watkins Park and improving Nichols Park. The $4 million comes from a three-decade old commercial loan program that helps small businesses get started or grow.
The loan program was started by the city using Community Development Block Grants from HUD. Smith said due to a change in how HUD defines what it means to use grant money in a timely manner, a large sum from the loan program will need to be spent on community projects by May 2018. The city was notified in the spring it was not in compliance with HUD rules. If noncompliant for a second year, the city would risk losing future grant funds, said a letter the federal agency sent to the city. In May, City Council approved a plan which outlined a list of priority project suggestions assembled by city staff.
The following is a list of top priority projects and their estimated costs: College Street streetscape, $700,000 Eden Village affordable housing, $100,000 Jordan Creek stormwater improvements, $1.5 million Meador Park playground improvements, $130,000 Nichols Park playground improvements, $295,000 Loan for Springfield Affordable Housing Center land acquisition, $1 million Tom Watkins park restrooms and support facility, $200,000 Trail development from Cruse Dog Park to Ewing Park, $25,000 Cooper Park playground improvements, $100,000 The planning and de- velopment department also identified other lower-priority projects that could be funded if any of the first tier projects are not able to be completed before the May 2018 deadline. Second tier projects mostly consist of sidewalk construction and park improvements, many of which would be in north Springfield. The group of Springfield residents specifically objected to using federal grants to improve Jordan Creek, Meador and Cooper parks and loaning money to find a new space for the Springfield Affordable Housing Center. Democratic state representative Crystal Quade was among the residents who signed the letter sent to council. Quade, in an email, explained she is not in opposition to how the city is using the dollars.
Rather, she signed it because she is in favor of additional oversight of the tax dollars if the public feels they are being Here are more details on those projects. Jordan Creek daylighting In the 1920s or 1930s, Jordan Creek was diverted to flow underground through concrete box culverts to try to mitigate flooding, according to Chris Dunnaway, with the Stormwater Management department. It work, Dunnaway said. The city has planned for years to create an urban stream running through downtown by daylighting Jordan Creek, Dunnaway said. The city would build a for the stream to flow above ground, hopefully lined with trees and grass, he said.
The box culverts will be kept to accommodate overflow during heavy downpours. The ultimate goal is to decrease flooding, improve water quality and promote economic development and job growth by providing an attractive amenity for the downtown area, Dunnaway said. like being on the Dunnaway said. will be anice water feature for The $1.5 million would be reserved for daylighting a portion of the creek north of downtown, where Missouri State University and the Vecino Group are considering developing new office spaceat the corner of Boonville Avenue and Phelps Street. Smith said the city hopes it will be an opportunity to leverage public funds with private investment.
gives us an opportunity to showcase what the creek could look Smith said. think going to build more excitement and interest in day- lighting the Dunnaway said the city would only be able to bring a small stretch of the creek to the surface. It would not be enough to help with flooding issues but may help improve water quality. Webb said the project is mainly an aesthetic addition. literally have people dying in house fires on the Northside because firefighters are not getting there fast Webb told the News-Leader.
city would rather daylight Jordan Smith said the Jordan Creek project would fall under the and elimination category since it would be part of an economic development project. HUD also allows grant money to be spent on aesthetic improvements associated with public projects, Smith said. It would be difficult to use the money to build a new fire station instead, Smith said. The cost of construction and equipment alone is more than $4 million. Additional ongoing funding would be needed for staffing.
thing not acceptable to HUD is to spend money and not put something in Smith said. Plus, Smith said, it would be impossible to finish acquiring land, designing and construct- ing a fire station by the deadline. Smith said it would be unlikely that HUD would give the city a deadline extension for such a pricey project. Cooper and Meador parks One objection to park improvements for Cooper and Meador was that those parks serve the wider community rather than neighborhoods. The letter signed by Springfield residents also noted some activities at sports facilities are the of low- to-moderate income families due to fees.
Smith said both parks serve surrounding neighborhoods that have low-to-moderate income populations with their playgrounds. They also attract wider community or regional residents with their amenities like the Meador pool and the tennis and soccer facilities at Cooper. The city plans to replace playground equipment in Cooper and Meador parks, Smith said, which will primarily benefit nearby neighborhoods. Loan for Affordable Housing Center The city plans to use $1 million from the commercial loan fund to help One Door and partner organizations find a bigger facility. One Door and other housing agencies are currently housed in an old, cramped former bank building, Smith said.
in really bad Smith said. have adequate space to meet with clients in a private and confidential The letter questioned why the city should loan one public service agency $1 million and not other public service agencies. It says the citizens would rather see vacant neighborhood school purchased and transformed into a community center like the hugely successful Smith said the city has made similar loans to other nonprof- its, like the Kitchen, for its campus on Commercial Street. The letter asserted One Door serves Greene, Christian and Webster counties and it does not believe HUD money can be used to help people from other counties. Smith said the need for a consolidated facility to house services for the homeless or those about to become homeless was identified years ago.
Space at the current center has not been adequate for a long time. people into housing first is a priority for all of us who are working on programs for the under Smith said. PHOTOS BY ANDREW City leaders want to use a portion of the HUD grant funding to make improvements to the playground at Meador Park near Battlefield Mall. City leaders want to use $1.5 million of HUD grant funding to daylight Jordan Creek. They say it will help with water quality, flooding and job creation.
Grants Continued from Page 1A literally have people dying in house fires on the Northside because firefighters are not getting there fast enough. The city would rather daylight Jordan KATIE WEBB, NORTHSIDE RESIDENT.
