Planning commission denies conditional-use permit for proposed senior group home at 3210 John Patterson property

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Planning Commission voted to deny a conditional‑use permit request to convert a vacant church into a senior group home, after staff said the parcel does not meet a mandatory lot‑area threshold in the city zoning ordinance and commissioners raised parking and neighborhood‑impact concerns.

City planning staff told the commission the subject parcel contains approximately 8,100 square feet and is currently developed with an existing church building. Under Section 11‑13‑06(E)(3)(a) of the zoning ordinance, a personal or group care facility must sit on a minimum lot area equal to 10,000 square feet or twice the minimum lot area required by the underlying zoning district; in this R‑7 district that standard translates to 14,000 square feet, staff said. "The property contains approximately 8,100 square feet, and the…