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Florissant City Council
Mexican Restaurant Hearing
Postponed; Hearing For Day
Care Plan Move is Continued
By Carol Arnett
The Florissant City Council once again postponed a public hearing regarding a request for a special use permit to Amigo Food, doing business as Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill to allow for the restaurant and grocery store for property located at 758 S. New Florissant Rd. The hearing has been postponed before.
Councilwoman Jackie Pagano said that there have been conversations between the city and the owner and asked that the public hearing be postponed until the Dec.14 meeting.
In a second public hearing at last week’s meeting, the
council discussed a request to authorize a special use permit to Glory to God Kingdom Fellowship Hall Church to allow for the operation of a child day care at 8428 N. Lindbergh. Charles Lawshe spoke for the day care. Lawshe is the pastor of the church.
“We’ve been in Florissant coming up on seven years,”
Lawshe said, “and we want to move and open up an infant/toddler center.” The church is currently at 8460 N. Lindbergh.
Council President Joe Eagan is the councilman for the
ward in which the center would be located. He had some questions for Lawshe. He asked about hours. Lawshe said that the center would be open from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m., with the possibility of being open from 5 a.m. – 7 p.m. “The daycare is not open at the same time that the church will be having services,” he said.
“How big will the play area be?” Eagan asked. “It meets state requirements,” Lawshe said. “It will be 800 – 900 square feet.”
“I’ll let you know that’s my only concern is that play area,” Eagan said. He said he worried because the play area will be next to the driveway for the back of the nearby businesses.
“Can you explain how the drop-off and pick-up of children will work,” Councilman Mark Schmidt said. Lawshe said they would come in the front door. “That’s not a good combo,” Schmidt said.
He said he had some experience with a day care center in a shopping center and the original drop off plan was similar and not safe.
Lawshe said that the oldest children at the center would be three, so they would not be walking on the parking lot alone.
Councilman Tim Lee asked about the church moving
there. The parking requirements for the church are not met at the site. There are 28 parking spots on the site, and the city staff report said it requires 107, Lee said. The church will have seating for 112 people. “I didn’t think 107 was correct, but I don’t think 28 is either,” Lee said.
The council voted to continue the hearing until the
December meeting in order to further study some issues raised during the hearing.
In other action, the council passed several bills that
approve the city budget for the fiscal year beginning Dec. 1.
