Florissant Delays Permit For Learning Center at Fatima Site

By Carol Arnett

The Florissant City Council postponed a vote on a bill authorizing a special use permit that would permit Boonce Academy to operate a learning center at 4450 Washington. This was formerly the Our Lady of Fatima convent.

The learning center would have up to 61 students from infants through grade 12, with up to 25 staff members.

Councilwoman Karen McKay represents the seventh ward, in which the site is located. She asked about the cross parking agreement the school was working out with Lindenwood University to use the Lindenwood lot next door.

“I’m not going to be able to support this,” McKay said. She said of the building, “it’s just not big enough.”

“The old school there had a playground and fields, and more space,” she said. “I’m not comfortable with putting that many people in that small building.” She noted that the building was originally built for ten to twelve nuns.

She said she also had concerns about parking and about traffic on Washington. “It’s just not a good use of the property,” she said.

The council voted to postpone the bill until the Feb. 8 meeting.

In other matters, the council:

• Passed a bill authorizing a special use permit for B and B Heating and Cooling to allow the business to move into the old firehouse at 1955 Washington.  McKay called it a good use of the old firehouse.

•  Passed a bill authoring an addition to the existing Christian Northwest medical center on Graham Road. The addition will expand the emergency department.

•  Held the first reading on a bill that would adopt the International Building Code 2009 edition and the Electrical Code 2008 edition, with certain exceptions and modifications.

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