Winfield's comprehensive plan could spark talk of Roosevelt zoning

A new push is looming to rezone a stretch of Roosevelt Road through Winfield.

This time, village trustees who want commercial redevelopment along Roosevelt can use the town's new comprehensive plan to support their position.

After nearly a year of surveys, meetings and public discussions, Winfield trustees last week approved a comprehensive plan that will help guide development in the village.

"I'm very pleased," Village President Erik Spande said. "We had an engaged process that will provide a good road map for the village in the years to come."

As part of its recommendations, the comprehensive plan is calling for a commercial focus with some higher density housing along Roosevelt.

"What we needed was a discussion on Roosevelt Road," Trustee Tim Allen said. "The opportunity for that to occur happened inside the comprehensive plan."

Allen, who has long been pushing for Winfield to commercialize Roosevelt to expand the village's revenue base, says he knew the comprehensive planning process would support his position.

The next step, he says, is to reopen talks about rezoning. "We should go back to it right away," he said.

In March 2013, a previous board made the controversial decision to rezone more than a dozen properties along Roosevelt, Garys Mill and Wynwood roads. But last August, the commercial zoning classification for those properties was repealed by the current board.

One reason the rezoning had to be repealed is because Winfield was being sued by homeowners who opposed the zoning change, officials said.

Spande said having the comprehensive plan gives the village a legal basis to seek rezoning.

"We're doing it right this time," Spande said. "Instead of just assertions from board members, we have sound planning advice, market research, extensive public involvement and a correct process."

Still, Trustee Tony Reyes said the comprehensive plan proves that he and others were right when they supported the original vote to rezone.

"It's saying the same thing we said a year ago," Reyes said. "A vast majority of the residents in Winfield want development along Roosevelt Road because it's going to help our village.

"Once the commercialization of Roosevelt Road begins," he said, "we'll be able to reap the benefits of revenue pouring into the village that we could use for police and roads."

Spande said he supports commercial redevelopment along Roosevelt as long as it provides long-term benefits for the village. He also said individual projects must be neighborhood friendly and show respect for those who live nearby.

"The comprehensive plan is probably the easy part," Spande said. "The more difficult part is when we go through and do the implementation. That's when you've got to make some very specific decisions. You start having to deal with a lot of the real critical details that will make it successful or not."