The spring that gave House Springs its last name is getting a new overseer.
The Jefferson County Council voted unanimously Nov. 23 to transfer ownership of a 0.83-acre parcel near highways MM and 30 that includes the namesake spring from the county to a nonprofit group of surrounding businesses.
However, that group, which has registered with the state as House Springs Preservation Inc., has agreed to allow the Northwest Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce to maintain the area, said Councilman Jim Terry (District 7, Cedar Hill), who represents the area.
Danny Tuggle, president of the chamber, said the agreement gives the chamber the sole authority to name members to the five-member board of House Springs Preservation once it is established as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit corporation, a designation that will allow it to accept donations.
The transaction – in which the county accepted $10 from House Springs Preservation to transfer the title to the land – clears the way for the county to consider allowing a medical marijuana dispensary to be built on the vacant lot at 3 Walters Place, in an adjoining shopping center.
Nirvana Bliss III LLC of Fenton, run by Bernard Goethe, had received state approval for the dispensary and had applied with the county’s Planning Department for a required conditional-use permit for an undeveloped 1.06-acre lot.
However, the county could not approve the permit because its zoning order prohibits medical marijuana facilities from being located within 1,000 feet of a school, daycare center, church or public park.
The area with the spring, which has been considered a county park since 2008, falls well within that radius, county officials said.
In addition to gaining approval for a conditional-use permit from the county, Goethe likely will need to be granted an extension by the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services, which gave approval for a dispensary in late January. Those approved were given one year to open and pass a state inspection.
Tuggle said the chamber will assume control of House Springs Preservation once a medical marijuana dispensary proposed nearby clears all county and state approvals.
“All that may take several months,” he said.
However, the obstacle of proximity to a park has been removed.
“I know some people are going to take this as the chamber is promoting marijuana places,” Tuggle said. “The fact is that the law allows them, the people of Missouri voted for them (in 2018) and if we’re going to have one in this area, this is an ideal place for it. It’s not around homes or schools.
“I don’t think I ever would have considered it a park,” Tuggle said. “I don’t know what we’re going to call it. Maybe the House Springs Historical Site? We’ll come up with something. But I know we want to put a big plaque up about the history of the area.”
The deal
Tuggle said if the medical marijuana facility is approved and the nonprofit corporation is allowed to accept donations, Paul Taylor, who developed the Walters Place shopping center, has agreed to donate $10,000 a year for five years to the chamber-run House Springs Preservation to make improvements to the area.
Taylor also agreed to pay the nonprofit group about $3,400 a year to maintain the property, Tuggle said.
“The maintenance will be pretty much a break-even deal for us,” Tuggle said. “If our improvements end up costing more than $50,000, we’ll have to do fundraisers or find other sources for the money.”
Tuggle said planned improvements include dredging the spring area, which is more of a detention pond than a spring, using the silt and dirt from that process to build up an island in the middle of the pond that would include a fountain that would keep the water from being stagnant.
“This would all depend on getting approval from the (U.S. Army) Corps of Engineers and the DNR (Missouri Department of Natural Resources),” Tuggle said.
Under the agreement, Taylor also would donate the remaining undeveloped lot in his shopping center to House Springs Preservation.
“Other than keeping it maintained, I don’t know what we might do with it,” Tuggle said of the approximately 1-acre parcel. “We’ll use it for something.”
Tuggle said the chamber’s board recently voted 9-1 with four abstentions to accept the arrangement.
One of those who abstained was attorney Derrick Good, who drew up and filed the incorporation papers for House Springs Preservation.
Good said the merchants in the area who formed the group did so with the intention of maintaining the area.
“The original appeal was to take it off the county’s hands, and they would take care of it and improve it,” he said. “That was something they were willing to do, but when a local group (the chamber) came forth, that seemed like it would benefit everyone.”
Terry said Nov. 9, before the council gave preliminary approval to the transfer, that he would not continue to support it unless control of the property would eventually fall to a local group.
“This is a real good deal,” Terry said of the chamber’s involvement. “I don’t see any downside. The chamber has the opportunity to take what could be an eyesore and turn it into something attractive. It looks real good to me.”
Tuggle agreed.
“There’s no motive for the chamber to do this with the exception of having the opportunity to improve what could be an eyesore,” he said. “This can be an asset to the county. This is at the intersection of two major thoroughfares, and this will give people a reason to drive through the area.
“We have a situation that doesn’t come by every day, and when it does come along, the leaders of the community need to step up to take action. I’m proud we did.”