The new Pipkin Middle School would not be built at the eastern Springfield industrial site Springfield Public Schools selected, if a recommendation from the city’s planning manager is heeded.
However, that recommendation was walked back later Wednesday by a city spokeswoman. SPS, which has final authority on whether to break ground on a new Pipkin or not, said in a statement to the Hauxeda that district officials hope to have the city’s support, but can and will move forward without it if need be.
On March 30, the school district announced it had entered an agreement to purchase a 20.9-acre parcel of land at 3207 E. Pythian Street, a vacant expanse bordered by BNSF railroad tracks to the west and U.S. Highway 65 to the east. The school board members unanimously approved the agreement in a closed session vote.
An announcement came days before voters overwhelmingly supported a $220 million bond ballot measure. A rebuild of Pipkin, including the purchase of the land, accounts for about $53 million, or about 24 percent of that total.
The land purchase price has not been disclosed, as some steps remain before the purchase is made. Next month, the Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission will vote on a request to acquire the land.
At issue is how the middle school fits, or possibly doesn’t fit, into the city’s comprehensive plan. Citing the plan, Springfield Planning Manager Bob Hosmer said in a June 7 interview with the Daily Citizen that the city’s development review team does not recommend the commission approve the request to acquire the land.
“Our recommendation is based on the comprehensive plan only, whether it's consistent with the comp plan,” he said. “And it's not consistent with the comprehensive plan.”
The land is zoned for heavy manufacturing, as is much of the surrounding property. Across Pythian Street to the south of the proposed school site is 3M’s manufacturing plant. North of the site is a furniture showroom with an outer road that would be extended to encircle the school, according to proposed designs of the Pipkin site. A person who answered the phone at Southern Material Company, the showroom, declined comment and directed questions about the road extension to the school district.
Internal disagreement over planning review
The city’s comprehensive plan calls for the land to be used for “business flex purposes,” which can include a mix of office and light industrial use. Hosmer pointed to Highway 65 and the active railroad, which crosses both city streets — Division and Pythian — that lead to the school, as concerns.
“It's just not a site that we have identified in our comprehensive plan as being an ideal site for a school,” Hosmer said.
Hosmer said more details would be provided in a report included in the agenda packet a week ahead of the July 13 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, where the Pipkin request will be addressed. Later on June 7, Melissa Haase, spokeswoman with the city, sent a statement to the Daily Citizen saying Hosmer’s comments were premature.
“The information provided by the Planning department staff member does not constitute the final recommendation of the Planning department for this matter as that recommendation has not been finalized,” the statement reads. “This application is still in the pre-development phase, and the staff review is not complete. Once the review is complete, it is included in the formal packet of information that is attached to the publicly released agenda for the upcoming meeting.
“The City of Springfield offers our sincerest apologies to Springfield Public Schools and any other interested party for the premature public release of a Planning staff member’s comments, as that approach is not consistent with the City’s protocol.”
School district ‘proceeding as planned’
Schools are among many facilities that can be built on heavy manufacturing-zoned property, according to Springfield ordinances. Whether or not the July 13 agenda includes a recommendation to not approve the request to acquire the land, the school district has the final say as long as enough school board members continue to support the plan to move Pipkin to East Pythian Street.
A school official’s statement to the Daily Citizen from the district suggests the support would be there if needed.
SPS board documents from earlier this year set the estimated completion date for the new Pipkin in December of 2025. Construction would begin around the start of 2024, according to the board documents. The design and bid phase would conclude in December of 2023.
Stephen Hall, spokesman for SPS, said in a statement to the Daily Citizen that the district is “proceeding as planned with finalizing the purchase of 20.9 acres of undeveloped property at 3207 E. Pythian, which was unanimously approved by the SPS Board of Education.”
The statement pointed to widespread support for the bond measure — 77 percent of voters backed it — and recommendations by the bond measure-shaping Community Task Force on Facilities to not only rebuild but also move Pipkin. The site where the current, century-old building stands, 1215 N. Boonville Avenue, is 3.1 acres.
“At least 10 acres is needed to provide sufficient space for a new building, outdoor activities, parking, a bus lane and improved/safer traffic flow for student drop-off and pick-up,” the statement reads. “Staff and students currently load and unload from buses and vehicles along a busy Boonville Avenue. The district has considered a variety of options, but it is a tremendous challenge to find a large piece of land in the central part of an established community.
“The property at 3207 E. Pythian is nearly seven times the size of the current Pipkin campus and is located near the SPS transportation headquarters and the newly constructed Central High School baseball field. We are excited by the many possibilities it offers for the Pipkin community. A new Pipkin, built on this undeveloped acreage, ensures a safer and more desirable setting for everyone who attends and works there. The new location will help boost interest in the school’s unique International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme. The site also ensures added bus service for Pipkin students, leading to safe and reliable transportation to and from school every day for many families currently challenged by a lack of viable options. Expanded busing will help boost daily attendance and support improved academic achievement.”
School board reportedly holds power advantage
If the school district and its board want to move forward with the Pipkin rebuild at the Pythian site, then that’s what will happen. Hosmer said if the Planning and Zoning Commission voted against the request to acquire the land, the school board could vote to override it. Hall, in his statement, said the board was prepared to override if it comes to that.
“We appreciate the City’s collaboration and continued consideration,” Hall said in the statement. “While we certainly hope to receive support from the City of Springfield for our voter-endorsed vision for Pipkin Middle School, state statute grants the SPS Board of Education the ultimate authority to determine placement of the new facility. Should the Board need to intervene in order for this project to proceed, it is prepared to do so with full support from our administration. Our collaborative community is known for finding creative opportunities to help prepare students to be success-ready for a rapidly changing workforce – including opening doors for education and industry to coexist.”
Whether or not the city and the school district are on the same page about Pipkin will come into clearer focus next month.
