SAMBA welcomes new members joining in March:

Wachovia/Wells Fargo recently unveiled its newly remodeled store on Main Street in downtown Springfield and looks forward to meeting all of your banking needs.

Tres Leches is serving fabulous deserts and savory treats in its shop at 1839 North Pearl Street.

Laura Byres brings her design talents to Springfield through Yardchicks, a company specializing in both commercial and residential landscape design and installation.

The Springfield Improvement Association and Woman’s Club, formed in 1904, is Springfield’s original neighborhood organization and the first to support beautification of our parks and the Main Street business corridor.  The Club’s home is the lovely Springfield Presbyterian Church building on West 7th Street, which may be rented for weddings and other special events.  Meetings of the SIAWC are held on the third Tuesday of every month, with social time at 6:30 and a program at 7:00.  Guests (male and female) are welcome!

SAMBA Notes from the Springfield Roundtable Meeting – March 9, 2011

SAMBA attended the bi-monthly Springfield Roundtable Meeting on Wednesday, March 9^th.  Representatives from a number of City of Jacksonville departments were present and a variety of subjects were discussed.  Matters of particular interest to the Springfield area business community included the following:

JEA

There was a lengthy discussion about JEA’s proposed new reservoir facility at Orange and Laura Streets, which was the subject of a community meeting a few weeks ago.  Unfortunately, only one community representative attended the meeting so JEA is seeking additional neighborhood input on the design.  Concerns expressed were the height of the building (32 feet above grade, much higher than the existing mound), architectural detail, landscaping and fencing. A rendering and more information about the facility is posted on www.myspringfield.org. 

Housing and Neighborhoods Department

There has been no real progress on a new RFP for the 9th and Main building. The city is considering its options and has been approached by an interested party that they feel would be a good fit for the neighborhood.  The department is unable to share any additional information at this time.

Developer and consultant responses to the RFP for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (part 3) are due this Friday, March 11^th, by 4:00 pm. Proposals must be delivered to the Housing and Neighborhoods Department and date stamped.

Parks and Recreation

There was no representative from the Recreation and Community Services department present so no new information was provided on the proposed RFP for the Surveyor’s Building in Confederate Park.

Kim Heyde, a Springfield representative who is spearheading the Springfield Disc Golf Group, came to the meeting and shared a proposal for a new 18 hole disc golf course in Klutho Park.  She is working with the River City Disc Golf Association and has received letters of support from many of the neighborhood non-profit organizations, including the Springfield Improvement Association and Woman’s Club, the Mommies Group, Sustainable Springfield, Springfield Animal Care and Rescue Club, and Preservation SOS.

March 8, 2011:  Springfield Has a New Voice at the Urban Core CPAC

SAMBA has applied to become a member of the City of Jacksonville’s Urban Core Citizen’s Planning Advisory Committee, and representatives have attended the past several monthly meetings.  Two items of particular interest to Springfield area residents were discussed at last night’s CPAC meeting as a direct result of SAMBA participation.

Jim Green, a representative of the Florida Department of Transportation, was present and provided excellent follow up to two questions raised by SAMBA at the previous meeting.

In February Ron Barton (Executive Director, Jacksonville Economic Development Commission) was asked about the possibility of Main Street returning to two-way traffic between State and Union, something we believe would greatly improve connectivity between downtown and Springfield. Barton seemed to dismiss the idea, suggesting that Laura Street was a satisfactory connection with Springfield.

FDOT told us last night that they would proceed with a study regarding the feasibility of two way traffic on that section of Main if the City of Jacksonville would simply make that request. The CPAC then made a unanimous resolution that Main Street be returned to two way traffic. This resolution will be forwarded to the appropriate City department with a request for action. Although there are no guarantees that the City will respond to the resolution, this is a step in the right direction.

FDOT also responded to a SAMBA question from last month’s meeting related to FDOT’s planned improvements to the Newnan/Hubbard Klutho bridge at Confederate Park. FDOT was not aware before SAMBA brought this matter to their attention at the February CPAC meeting that the City’s vision plan for the Hogan’s Creek greenway includes a proposal to close that bridge to automobile traffic, creating a pedestrian crossing. If that occurs there will be no need to improve the bridge, saving taxpayers many thousands of dollars. FDOT contacted the City and learned from the Parks department that there is no current funding for the proposed Confederate Park improvements.  Therefore, studies regarding the bridge will continue. However, these studies are preliminary and any construction would be several years from now.

We have an opportunity to coordinate City and State efforts to save money and improve our quality of life, as implementing this portion of the Hogan’s Creek vision plan would lead to traffic calming on Hubbard Street as well as a much improved recreational facility, with better connectivity between the existing dog park, the proposed playground and the rest of Confederate Park.
Closing Hubbard and Newnan Streets at the Klutho Bridge is a matter that merits additional conversation, as there are certainly positive and negative impacts to be considered.  Combining the proposed closure with a return to two-way automobile travel on Main Street between Union and State could lead to increased traffic on Springfield’s commercial corridors and reduced traffic on our residential streets, a definite win-win for the neighborhood.