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Florissant Passes CD Block Grants and Budget

Public Hearing held on Smart Senior Living units

By Carol Arnett

   The Florissant City Council Monday night passed a bill approving the city’s budget for fiscal year 2019. The city’s fiscal year runs from Dec. 1 to Nov. 30. The city also passed a bill approving the Community Development Block Grant budget for 2019.

The Council also held three public hearings at this week’s meeting. They concerned the short term loan establishments, a senior living center, and the Siteman Cancer Center on Graham Rd.

The first hearing was about amending the zoning code concerning short term loan establishments. “I brought this to the staff’s attention,” said City Attorney John Hessel. He explained the reason behind the requested amendment to the code.

Hessel said that after short term loan establishments became popular, cities began to regulate them. The city and state distinguish between installment loan lenders and short term loan establishments.

City Building Commissioner Phil Lum also spoke to the council. It’s largely a matter of aligning state law and city law, he said. “As a zoning official, I have to say it’s a bank or it’s anything else,” he said.

Gary Fader, an attorney representing Regional Finance, also spoke to the council. Regional would be classified as an installment loan lender, not a short term lender, under the zoning change. “They are a consumer lender,” Fader said. “They do not make short term loans.” Regional’s request for an office in Florissant was denied because of the current ordinance.

The council held a first reading on a bill that would approve the change to the zoning code.

In the second hearing, the council discussed a request to rezone property at 1475 and 1415 Carla Drive for Smart Senior Living. This is where New Florissant Road ends at Carla Drive.

The living center will have 88 units. On the outside of the property will be 28 independent living units. The 60 remaining units will be level two assisted living and memory care units. The community will be for those 55 and older. All units will be rentals. The complex is hoping to break ground in April.

In the third public hearing, a Siteman Cancer Center spokeman told the council about additions to the Siteman Cancer Center now under construction at 1225 Graham Road.

Joe Fischer spoke to the council about the project. The expansion would be situated in the back of the building. It would be approximately 1,500 square feet. The council held the first reading on the bill that would approve the rezoning. The passed a bill approving the project.

   In other matters, the council:

• Passed bills that approve several projects recently discussed in public hearings. The approvals included the Imo’s restaurant at 15285 New Halls Ferry Road, the transfer of a special use permit from Cross Keys Auto at 14050 New Halls Ferry Road to STL Cheap Cars Inc.
• Voted “no” on two bills that would allow for an adult day care center at 11 Patterson Plaza Shopping Center. The proposed center has been before the council for several weeks with issues that the city had with the operation of the banquet center. The council apparently has been able to resolve those issues as they relate to the adult day care facility at the same site.
• Approve a request by Christopher Teague to keep four chickens at his residence on N. Castello

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