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Comments and Responses, September 27, 2000 Public Hearing in Springfield <br />,; <br />g PP P sign <br />and lighting measures would be necessary to avoid <br />:', significant impacts on the community. <br />T17.6-While amulti-level <br />parking garage may be built to <br />accommodate future commercial <br />development downtown, this <br />project has not yet received land <br />use or building permits; hence <br />including it as part of the EIS <br />analysis would be speculative and <br />thereby inconsistent with the <br />National Environmental Policy <br />Act. <br />T17.7-The draft EIS states that <br />the low commercial vacancy rate <br />in the city of Springfield is a <br />concern. If the vacancy rate is <br />below the equilibrium for owners <br />and renters (generally assumed to <br />be a 5 percent vacancy rate), it <br />may be difficult to identify and <br />acquire space for businesses <br />displaced by a new project. If <br />there is a shortage of commercial <br />space, developing a large project <br />may exacerbate this shortage and <br />cause an increase in the lease or <br />purchase costs of commercial <br />space. The GSA notes the city's <br />efforts to update the Springfield <br />downtown refinement plan and to <br />identify appropriate commercial <br />space for businesses that could be <br />displaced by development of the <br />Riverfront site. <br />T17.6 1 <br />2 <br />3 <br />4 <br />s <br />a <br />T17.7 ~ <br />8 <br />9 <br />10 <br />11 <br />12 <br />is <br />14 <br />1b <br />ie <br />18 <br />T17.B 19 <br />zo <br />21 <br />22 <br />?3 <br />24 <br />:b <br />T17.8-The draft EIS identifies <br />the scale of the proposed <br />courthouse as a concern for the <br />community surrounding the <br />Riverfront site concludin that a ro riots e <br />Transcript 2 <br />1a <br />Tho EIS mentlona a lock of adetluato parking at <br />the tlowntown river front alto. In fact. tho eron tlesignatotl <br />for redovolorxnent around tho courtnou80 cite immediately to Lhe <br />oast wf11 COnLein a multl-levoi parking gerago to nddrose Lho <br />i88u9 of parking for COUrthotlse employsoa and Lo aCCOmmdtlate <br />future commercial development doxntown. <br />That's in the plane that wo have with the <br />dovoioper that w0'ro working with. Tno EIS mentions a concern <br />about low vacancy rate in tlowntown Bprtnpfioid, which fn my <br />mind, is usually a good thing, but it sounded tiko in Lhe EIS <br />1t wasn't a good thing, because of Lho potential oliminatation <br />of some of our commerciai properties. <br />I believe that market forcoa will drive Lhe <br />roolacemant of that coanwrciel property that's oliminntotl ao <br />e result of Lhe courthouse location. In fact, trw pity has <br />,1uat launched en update of the tlowntown rofinongnt glen that <br />will identify through a market analyaic appropriate commereinl <br />businoasos that could fill Lhat miaalnfl warket niche downtown. <br />The EIS menifonc a conorn about aacimiletion of <br />Lhe Courthouse into the aurrounding environment end <br />neighborhoai. and a concern about light and fliers. <br />Tho neighborhood currontly is a mixed uao <br />neighborhood of commoreial low tlsnsity end metllum tloncity uses. <br />These usoa hove co-existed in Harmony in the oast for a number <br />Of y60rS. <br />New Federal Courthouse <br />247 <br />Final EIS <br />