An apartment complex proposed near Seckman Road and Old Lemay Ferry Road in Imperial was too tall, according to a crowd of about 40 people who attended a May 12 public hearing to oppose the development.
The Jefferson County Planning and Zoning Commission apparently agreed and voted unanimously to recommend denial of a rezoning request that would clear the way for the construction of West Elm Place, a three-story, 24-unit apartment complex proposed by LL Investments LLC of St. Louis.
The request sought to rezone a 1.48-acre tract on Barbagallo Drive, where the apartments were proposed, from planned unit development to planned mixed residential.
The P and Z board makes recommendations on such requests to the County Council, which has the ultimate authority to rezone property in unincorporated areas. The council is expected to vote on a resolution to deny the rezoning request, most likely at a meeting in June.
Dan Govero of Govero Land Services in Imperial, who represented the developer at the public hearing, said he was involved with the 2004 rezoning of the lot, as well as two lots to the south – a 1.84-acre lot where an Express Mart gasoline station and convenience store operates at Seckman and Old Lemay Ferry and another 2.37-acre lot across from Barbagallo Drive where a retail operates at Seckman and Seckman Spur.
Govero said the 1.48 acres under consideration originally had been planned as a commercial use but “no commercial use has ever gone in there.”
“That property has been sitting vacant for quite some time,” planning commissioner Trisha Fribis said.
According to plans for the single apartment building, it would include 14 two-bedroom apartments and 10 three-bedroom units.
“This would be a high-end development with garages. These would not be cheap apartments,” Govero said. “It would probably attract more older people than young people just starting off.”
He said rents likely would range from $1,400 to $1,900 a month.
Bobby Shanks, who lives in the nearby Villages of Arrow Ridge subdivision and has an office in the shopping center adjoining the proposed apartments, said area residents had several concerns.
He contended that the three-story building would not fit in with the neighborhood.
“Down Seckman Road, there are thousands of single-family residences,” he said. “This literally would be the only three-story building in the area. Seckman High School is only two stories. This adds nothing to the area.”
Shanks said developing the triangle-shaped piece of property also would affect pedestrian traffic in the area.
“An additional 58 cars would present a danger to the kids who walk to and from school (at the nearby Seckman campus),” he said. “This area also has a great number of joggers and walkers.”
Shanks also said the increase in vehicle traffic could result in more accidents.
“Over the last 10 years, accidents have been very high in this area, even with the addition of the roundabout. It’s not getting any better,” he said.
Govero countered that even if the lot would be developed commercially, “you’re going to have more traffic.”
He also said there is a demand for those types of apartments.
“I guarantee they’ll be filled up right away,” he said.
Following the vote, Govero said he didn’t know what his client would do next.
“It’s kind of a shame,” he said. “We have a UDO (Unified Development Order, which deals with planning and zoning standards) and if a developer meets those and doesn’t ask for any variances, they get turned down. It’s kind of sad that the county is turning away development because a handful of people don’t want it.”