It looks like a new 168-unit apartment complex is coming to Jefferson County.
The Jefferson County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-1 on Oct. 10 to recommend approval of a rezoning request and development plan for the construction of six apartment buildings on 9.5 acres near the intersection of Hwy. 141 and Hwy. 21 between Arnold and unincorporated Fenton. Commissioner Mike Huskey cast the lone dissenting vote, and Commissioner Steve Taylor was absent from the meeting.
The commission advises the Jefferson County Council on land-use issues in unincorporated areas, and the council, which has the sole authority over rezoning and the approval of development plans, will consider an ordinance to approve the requests at a future meeting.
The undeveloped property has frontage on Hwy. 141, and residents would access 141 via Carriage Drive, or what used to be called Old Hwy. 141. The property is zoned for single-family residential use, and the rezoning request asks for it to be changed to planned mixed residential (PR2), which allows for a higher density of residential units.
The development plan, called Hilltop Luxury Apartments, includes details for the 168 apartment units, and of those, 72 will be one-bedroom units and the rest two-bedroom units.
According to the planning and zoning staff report, the property is surrounded by commercial businesses on three sides and Ridgewood Middle School to the southeast. The school is part of the Fox C-6 School District.
The petitioner, Lorenzo LLC of St. Louis, requested the county make an exception to one of its development codes. Instead of the required 336 parking spaces at the complex, the petitioner asked to provide just 316. The commission recommended approval of that request, too.
Lorenzo LLC previously built four other apartment complexes in the county: Miller Crossing in the Arnold area, Turtle Creek in the Fenton area, Stoney Pines in Barnhart and Sugar Creek in the Fenton area.
Lorenzo LLC’s legal counsel, Christopher Johnson of St. Louis, said during the meeting that after the Hilltop Luxury Apartments complex is approved and completed, the company would have a total of about 1,000 apartment units in the county.
“We’ve developed a footprint here in Jefferson County of providing this community with upper-end, high-level apartment luxury living that is, quite honestly, somewhat vacant here,” he said. “People are leaving the city, leaving the county, to come out to a place where they get a little bit more of a relaxing vibe, but they also want these high-end amenities.”
According to the development plan, the apartment complex would have a pool and fitness center. Covered parking would also be available for tenants. Lorenzo LLC’s other apartments average about $1,500 a month for rent.
During the meeting, Huskey criticized the apartment’s design plan, saying it was surprising the complex had only one entrance/exit. Planning and zoning staff said the complex plan meets requirements for ingress and egress.
Commissioner Johnathan Sparks said he was worried about the number of residential units included in the design plans. In a PR2 zoning district, developers are allowed to construct up to 18 units per acre of land; the apartment development plans call for approximately 17.7 units per acre.
“In my opinion, I’d like to see it a little less dense,” Sparks said. “It’s right at that ceiling for PR2.”
Rob Wagner of Imperial, who owns a business on Carriage Drive, said he wasn’t necessarily opposed to the new apartment complex but was worried about the increase in vehicle traffic merging onto Hwy. 141. He also wondered about who would be responsible for maintaining Carriage Drive.
According to the planning and zoning staff report, the Missouri Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining Carriage Drive and assuring the safety of motorists entering and exiting Hwy. 141.
No left turns are allowed onto Hwy. 141 along the stretch of road where the apartment complex is proposed and where Ridgewood Middle is located, according to the report.
Motorists who want to turn left from that area onto 141 must first turn right and then make a legal U-turn at the designated traffic light to travel west on Hwy. 141.
Johnson said Lorenzo LLC will work with MoDOT to ensure apartment residents adhere to traffic laws on Hwy. 141. According to a recent traffic study, Johnson said the new complex wouldn’t substantially change the traffic flow on the highway.
The apartment complex developers would be responsible for widening Carriage Drive to allow for the extra traffic on the road.
“This is one of the more extensive traffic studies I’ve been a part of when it comes to development,” he said. “We’ve worked in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Transportation, (and) they do not want a left turn crossing for the safety of the citizens. We’re happy to work with MoDOT in whatever way they require.”