After complaints from nearby residents, a request has been withdrawn that sought rezoning to allow a shooting range on the old St. John Catholic Church Parish property along Old Hwy. 21 in Shady Valley.
The Archdiocese of St. Louis, which owns the property, notified the Jefferson County Planning Division on Tuesday evening that it was withdrawing the rezoning request because it did not have “an acceptable offer from Sovereign Arms LLC to purchase the property,” according to a May 21 written statement.
The property is listed for $699,000, said Randall K. Rathert, director of the Archdiocese Office of Building and Real Estate.
The county Planning and Zoning Commission had been scheduled to consider the rezoning request on Thursday (May 23), but the topic has been removed from the meeting agenda.
Matt Gumersell, who owns Sovereign Arms, a retail store and indoor shooting range on Hwy. 141 near Hwy. 21 west of Arnold, wants to relocate his business to the old St. John Parish property and expand his operation to also include an outdoor shooting range and skeet-shooting area.
Gumersell said he still hopes to work out a deal with the Archdiocese to buy the property and open a business there.
“I had a nice conversation with people (at the Archdiocese) yesterday (May 21), and we’re trying to negotiate a price, but we’re running into some issues because a building there needs repair. But, we’re still talking, and I’m trying to make something happen, trying to hash out the money.”
Gumersell had submitted the request to the county, saying he wanted to get the property rezoned from “single-family residential” to “planned mixed use” before he agreed to buy the site.
Since the Archdiocese, as the property owner, decided to pull the request, the county will not consider it, planner Justin Randall said.
“A petitioner (other than the property owner) can apply for a zone change, but it has to come with the consent of the property owner, so when the owner pulls the consent, the county won’t consider it,” he said.
Rathert said the Archdiocese wanted firmer footing with Gummersell before the rezoning was heard.
“We (the Archdiocese) pulled the request because he (Gumersell) was supposed to have an acceptable purchase agreement with us prior to the hearing,” Rathert said.
Rathert said the Archdiocese will not sign off on another request to rezone the property for a shooting range unless Gumersell works out an acceptable deal to buy the property.
“But, negotiations have been in the works and he never met our asking price,” he said.
Also, the St. John parish, which in 2011 opened a new church just south of the old parish property, would have to agree to sell the property to Gumersell, Rathert said.
“It’s up to the parish before the Archdiocese gets involved. It would have to be proved that the parish council and finance committee would be in favor of it and that the overwhelming majority of the parishioners would be in favor of it,” he said.
Rathert said the Archdiocese does want to sell the property, though.
“There are a couple of other things we’re working on,” he said.
Residents who live near the old St. John parish property said they were worried that if an outdoor shooting range were located there, it would pose a safety hazard, cause too much noise in the area, damage their quality of life and lower the value of their homes.
Gumersell said the proposed shooting range would be safe and would meet the county’s standards on noise. Also, he said the business would enhance the area.
Ken Hauck, one of the trustees for the Williams Brook Meadows subdivision, organized a petition drive opposing the shooting range that had 23 signatures by Monday. He and many of his neighbors planned to attend the meeting on Thursday to present the petition and urge the planning commission to deny the rezoning request.
Hauck said today that he and most of his neighbors were delighted to learn the rezoning request had been withdrawn.
“We’re thrilled,” he said. “But, our guard is far from down. We’re going to keep an eye on it.”