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BY CAROL ARNETT
The Florissant City Council held two public hearings at their meeting this week. In the first, American Eagle Credit Union requested a rezoning for a proposed new branch, and in the second, the Florissant Valley Fire Protection District (FVFPD) requested a final subdivision of property for a new fire station.

American Eagle hopes to put a branch at the intersection of St. Pierre and Lindbergh. The property is currently owned by Florissant Valley Baptist Church. The church would remain at the site; it would sell only the property at the corner of St. Pierre, which it currently uses for overflow parking.

Brandon Harp spoke for the credit union. The church would sell 2.07 acres for the credit union, which would be 4100 square feet on the main level, with a lower level also at 4100 square feet. The branch would have 50 parking spaces, and curb cuts on both St. Pierre and St. Ferdinand. The part of the property farthest from Lindbergh would be kept as green space.

Harper said the St. Pierre curb cut was needed because the credit union has reached an agreement with the church to use the parking lot on Sundays, and the curb cut would provide easier access to the church.

“That’s a huge branch,” Councilman Andrew Podleski said. “What are you doing with that much space?” Harper answered that the branch would also be used as a disaster recovery center for the credit union and for storage.

Harper also said that, although Podleski was correct that less people are actually going to bank and credit union branches nationwide, that trend has not held for their customers. “You should see our North County branch on a Saturday morning,” he said. He added that the credit union plans to keep the North County branch on Dunn Road open.

In the second hearing the FVFPD asked the city to join three plats at the corner of St. Ferdinand and St. Francois streets into one, so the district can build a new fire station at the site.

Deputy Chief Steve Gettemeier responded to concerns that the station would be blocked in during the Valley of Flowers and Fall Fests. “We won’t be there then,” he said. “We stage at another area on those types of occasions.”

Gettemeier also addressed concerns about noise, saying that the department must follow the laws regarding sirens, but they were mindful of the fact that several fire stations are in residential areas.

No one spoke in opposition at either hearing. The council passed the ordinance for the fire station and held a first reading on the ordinance rezoning the property for the credit union.

In other news, resident Rosemary Davison spoke to the council and asked everyone present to observe a moment of silence for Stanley Turner. Turner had come before the council to argue against rezoning property at the corner of St. Louis and St. Ferdinand, which was next door to his property.

“Two weeks ago, he gave an impassioned plea to this council. One week ago, we buried him,” Davison said. “I’d like a moment of silence to hope that he has found the peace he was unable to find with us.”

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