Willamalane Memorial Building at 765 A St. has been identified as a suitable Springfield Egan Warming location. VICTORIA STEPHENS/THE CHRONICLE
SPRINGFIELD – Housing dominated the Springfield City Council agenda this week, including a mobile home park rezone, a temporary homeless shelter designation and grant for low-income housing.
Council voted to rezone the 13.6 acres currently home to the 55-and-over Patrician Mobile Home Park.
The decision came down to a 4 to 2 vote; councilors Sheri Moore and Leonard Stoehrrs voted ”no.”
The rezoning changes the current low-density residential (LDR) park to mixed-use commercial zoning, which allows for more redevelopment options.
It also shakes the long-term security of the 130 elderly residents living there. Councilor Moore said she hopes that the property owner will ”go the extra mile” to help current residents of the park to find other housing options.
Last year, the former Springfield Public School Administration building at 525 Mill St. was designated the Egan Warming Center. Storm damage rendered the building unusable and forced the City to seek another location.
This week, the council also voted to allow for temporary emergency housing in governmental buildings to help provide winter shelter for the homeless. The City of Springfield, working St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County, have identified the Willamalane Memorial Building at 765 A St. as a suitable location to provide emergency housing as an Egan Warming Center for Springfield. The center opens in extremely cold weather, below 30 degrees, beginning Nov. 15.
Additionally, Homes for Good was granted a $750,000 one-year Community Development Block Grant loan to create 70 low-income housing units on 5th Street next to Fred Meyer. The funds will be paid back in time to provide funding for St. Vincent de Paul to acquire land for a new manufactured home park it is planning in the future.
