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McBride and Sons withdraws plans for housing near Jana Elementary
BY CAROL ARNETT
McBride and Sons has withdrawn a controversial proposal to build new houses on property on Bardot, Moule and Orleans streets, near Jana Elementary school.
The company submitted the proposal, which included a rezoning of the area to a Residential Design Development (RDD), to the city’s Planning and Zoning (P and Z) Commission. P and Z recommended denial of the proposal. McBride and Sons then appealed P and Z’s decision to the council. The plan was submitted under the RDD zoning to allow for smaller lots than those allowed by conventional residential zoning.
Council President Tim Lee announced at the council meeting that McBride and Sons had withdrawn the proposal, and the public hearing on the matter would be cancelled. Lee then said that the council was asking P and Z to look into eliminating the RDD zoning from the city code.
City Attorney John Hessel explained the RDD zoning after the meeting. “If there are unusual circumstances dealing with the property itself, it allows the developer some flexibility,” Hessel said.
Hessel said that procedure for a RDD was unusual. “Normally, a developer’s proposal goes to P and Z, which makes a recommendation to the council. The council then holds a public hearing and decides on the proposal.”
In an RDD development, Hessel said, “P and Z holds the public hearing, P and Z decides whether to approve or deny, and if P and Z disapproves, the developer can file a protest, which the council then considers. If the council wants, it can then send the matter back to P and Z.”
Hessel said that this was the first time that anyone had attempted to use the RDD. He said there were other ways in place to deal with unusual circumstances, such as the Planned Environmental Unit designation, and the council wants P and Z to study the issue and determine if the RDD zoning is needed.
In other action, the council:
•Passed several bills appropriating money for costs incurred during storm clean-up. Mayor Robert Lowery told the council that the city had applied to the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) for reimbursement for the funds and expected to receive them.
•Passed a bill adding a fee for updates on occupancy permits except as a result of the natural growth of a family. This is part of the city’s effort to deal with people adding children to the occupancy permit so that they can register in the Hazelwood and Ferguson –Florissant school districts.
•Passed a resolution asking the Environmental Protection Agency to recommend the removal of radioactive waste in the West Lake Landfill site in North County.
•Approved a request by Kenneth Davis to keep Fancy Pigeons on his property at 17 Marquette..
