Plans to build a 99-home subdivision at the northwest corner of Vogel and Old Lemay Ferry roads in the Arnold area, where a longtime farm has operated, received preliminary approval.
The Jefferson County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 7-0 on June 8 to recommend approval of a rezoning request and development plan for the development to be named Bella Terra.
The Jefferson County Council, which has the ultimate authority to rezone property in unincorporated areas, likely will consider the request at a meeting in late June or in July.
Gene Fribis of Fribis Engineering of Arnold, who represented the developer, Provision Land Development LLC of south St. Louis County, at a public hearing before the P and Z board, said homes built in the subdivision would be priced at $400,000 to $600,000.
The rezoning request – from R-20 single-family residential to planned single-family residential – will allow 3.3 homes per acre on the 38.46-acre parcel. The current R-20 zoning allows only two homes per acre.
The property has been farmed by the Burkard family for years, Fribis said, and the family intends to keep about 4.24 acres.
“This is a pretty straight request,” Fribis told the P and Z board. “It’s unusual in that the developer is not asking for anything in the way of variances or modifications. This complies with the county’s master plan, and it fits into that area like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle.”
Fribis noted that the Tuscan Valley subdivision, which he also was the engineer for, is to the northeast of Bella Terra, and both of those developments are near the Harmony Hills subdivision and Vogel Manor mobile home community.
“(The Bella Terra) lots are a little bigger than some of the lots in Tuscan Valley,” Fribis said. “We found that the larger lots sold better in Tuscan Valley.”
About 40 residents attended the meeting, and six spoke against the rezoning request.
Most said they were worried about whether the new development would exacerbate stormwater runoff to their homes.
“With a new subdivision, it’s going to be dumping more water into the existing small (dry) creek near our homes,” said Robert Clerkin, who lives about 2 miles away to the northwest. “We’re losing our bridges (of driveways to washouts) and our trees. With a new development, it will get worse.”
Ray Meyer, who lives in Tuscan Valley, agreed.
“I don’t know how they’re going to deal with all the water,” he said. “I don’t want to hear about a 500-year food when it’s the 501st year and my house is flooded.”
Fribis said the new development will include at least one and possibly two stormwater detention basins.
“A detention pond is designed to hold stormwater in for a period of time, then release it slowly into nearby creeks,” he said.
Other residents said they were concerned that Bella Terra would add congestion on Vogel and Old Lemay Ferry.
“Old Lemay Ferry is just a racetrack,” said Lynnette Rasch.
“They’d be adding at least 100 additional vehicles on Old Lemay Ferry and Vogel,” said Mark Jones. “I’m concerned about the flow of traffic and safety. There’s no shortage of high-density housing in the region. There are plenty of open lots around. To say there’s a need for this housing is not accurate.”
Kelly Matt, who lives west of the site off Old Lemay Ferry Road, said she was unhappy about losing another scenic farm.
“This is country-like and peaceful,” she said.
Referring to the Planning Division staff’s report that Bella Terra would “not be out of character” for the area because of the surrounding subdivisions, Matt said, “No, it’s not out of character because of everything that has been built. Now it’s not out of character.”