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Pit Bulls and Popeyes
Florissant Residents Voice on Pit Bull Ban;
Council Approves Popeyes Restaurant
By Carol Arnett
The Florissant City Council met Monday night and heard from several Florissant residents and other people regarding the city’s pit bull ban. The speakers would like the city to repeal legislation that bans pit bulls from the city. Several people in the audience wore orange, the color of animal abuse awareness.
Amy Harrison spoke about the ban. She said she herself was attacked by a dog as a five-year-old, but she was not attacked by a pit bull. She said she blames the owner, not the dog. She also said that breed-specific legislation did not work.
Karen Runk also spoke about the state laws regarding breed specific bans. She said that state laws prohibit the breed-specific bans.
Other speakers noted that the city already has a dangerous dog ordinance. This ordinance, they said, was enough to protect residents.
Troy Rogers pointed out that pit bull was a vague term. It is not an official breed, but rather a term used to refer to several breeds or dogs that look a certain way. He said he worried that other dogs may also look similar, but not have any of the breeds that fall under the pit bull umbrella.
The council also held three public hearings. The first hearing was a request for a rezoning of 955 N. Highway 67 from a single-family dwelling district to a planned commercial district to allow for a Popeye’s Restaurant. Lori Clark spoke for the restaurant.
Clark said that the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission had some recommendations and changes to the original plan, and the company has changed the plans accordingly. The site is where the old Marty Cancila’s Collision Center was, next to Culvers. The Cancila building is still there, but will be torn down.
“There was an issue with parking,” Clark said. “According to our calculations, 36 spots are required. We have 34.” She said they could have fit more parking in, but they complied with the Missouri Department of Transportation’s request to have angled parking and one way traffic in the lot. She also said that while room for five cars in the drive-through line was required, they had space for twelve, and they anticipate that the majority of the business at the location would be drive-through.
The council passed the bill that authorizes the rezoning. The second hearing was for a special use permit to DC Liquors for a package liquor store at 39 Florissant Oaks Shopping Center. James Gleason spoke for the store.
Councilman Gerard Henke said he was concerned about the hours. The plan showed them open until 1 a.m. Henke said he wanted them to close earlier, but Gleason said that he was told that he needed time to clean and count money. City Attorney John Hessel said that as long as the store was closed to the public, employees could be inside after closing.
Councilman Joe Eagan noted that the location has been liquor store for a long time. Councilman Tim Jones said he had visited the site with Gleason and was satisfied with Gleason’s plans. The council held the first reading on the bill that would allow the store.
In the third hearing, the council heard a request to allow for the relocation of a post sign at 3025 N. Highway 67. David Bowles spoke to the council. The site is just west of New Halls Ferry on Lindbergh. It will have a Starbucks. The sign was originally approved for a different location, but the owner would like to move it to a different spot on the site. The council held a first reading on the bill that would approve the sign movement.
