Despite a recommended denial from the planning and zoning commission, the Springfield City Council overwhelmingly approved a requested zoning variance for Auburn based Bovine LLC, which wants to expand into Springfield and open a second location.
Aldermen approved the variance on a 9-1 vote, Ward 3 Alderman Doris Turner was the lone no vote.
Owner Tony Magro spent a lot of time convincing the neighborhood that it would be a good fit — everything from holding community meetings to hosting Springfield city officials, on unannounced visits, at Magro’s in Auburn.
Ken Morris, who owns a hair salon near the old Dane’s Discount where the Springfield Magro’s store will locate, was one such person who needed convincing. He was against the idea, but took a trip to Auburn to see the existing facility.
“You don’t see anything hanging around on the outside, he has a very viable business there,” Morris said. “If people are against it, I would say a majority of the time it’s because they’re uninformed, like I was.”
While the majority of discussion was in favor of the variance, not everyone was. Barbara Myers represents the Gateway Foundation, the headquarters of which are located on Lake Victoria Dr. near the future Magro site.
“If you’ve got an I-2 zoning there, somebody can put a fertilizer manufacturer there. They can put a grain elevator… I mean, these are heavy industrial uses,” she said.
City officials quickly corrected her, noting the I-2 variance from the existing B-1 classification would allow only slaughterhouse operations. Anyone attempting to move onto that site should Magro move out would have to go through the process again.
Tony Magro hopes to open by Memorial Day if construction this winter goes as planned. It will serve as mainly a retail outlet with slaughtering operations once a week, which is expected to create at least 20 jobs.