Board of Aldermen - Regular Meeting

Good morning everybody. My name is Sandra Long, hearing officer for the city of St. Louis conditional use hearings. My colleague Deborah Mler and I will be conducting today's scheduled hearing on operations for a conditional use permit. We are recording these records as a permanent record. We ask that you remain on mute if you are not giving testimony. If you're calling by phone, it is star six to mute and unmute. If multiple people are sharing a screen, we ask that only one person speak at a time and please restrain from side conversations during an individual's testimony. These requests are made so we can excuse me. These requests are made so we can accurately record the information and hear from those giving testimony. After time of questions with the applicant, I will call for testimony from any persons in favor of the application. Then I will ask for testimony from any persons in opposition to the application. Following today's hearing, our office will make a recommendation to the board of public service, which is a separate department here at the city. They will make the final determination as no decisions will be made here today. Therefore, you are welcome to leave or stay on the call and listen. The board of public service will notify the applicant by mail regarding the findings of your conditional use permit. Deborah, will you please read the first case? AH13366-26 4465 West Pine Boulevard unit 23 zone E multiple family dwelling district central west N form base district NG2 W9

do I have anybody here for 4465 West Pine yes I'm here can I get your name and an email our zone or mailing address. Yes. My name is Wang Wyn on the screen and my Did you say my email address? No, your mailing address. 4465 West Point Boulevard, Unit 23, St. Louis, Missouri, 6310. Do you want to explain a little bit about what you're proposing to do here?

Yes. Um, a home bakery with online retail sales. So, I'll just be baking from my um house and everything will be done online in terms of shipping out my products, delivering it or providing it at local markets. I've been accepted to the market on McFersonson uh central west end market and also the Tower Grove market pending the resolution from the board of public service as you've mentioned earlier. Um there will I will be using home equipment, nothing commercial. There will be no nuisance in the area, no signage, basically as if I'm just making my own goods from home, but selling it instead. Um, in my packet that I submitted, I have, um, provided a food h handler certificate, um, a letter of support from Alderman Browning, a letter of support from the Central West End Association, a letter of support from the West Pine Lle Neighborhood Association, a letter of support from my immediate neighbor next door to me and across the alley from me, and also um, a letter of support from my town home condo association. Um, and that's literally what I'm trying to do, start a small business. and um contribute to the community in a positive way.

Thank you. You've done your research. Do you have any prior experience as a bakery as a baker? I actually do. I have a pastry arts degree um that I got in 2013, so over 13 years ago. And I've actually owned my own bakery um back then as well in another state. Okay. What types of items are you selling? I am going to be selling mini cakes. So, they're really small 4-inch mini cakes and breads. Okay. Will you have any a lot of storage at your home?

No. I mean, like I said, it's similar to me just baking at home. The products are so small that the space requirements are very negligible. Okay. Will you be storing any cookware or packaging materials at your home? No, actually, nope. I actually have a um an office space over on Taylor for all of my other stuff. I just need a bake from home and everything else is offsite. Will you have anybody helping you run the business? No, just myself. Okay. How will you notify customers of their orders are ready? Uh via phone call, email, text message, those three methods.

Nobody will ever come to your house. No. And that's why I have an office space. I really do not want anyone coming to my house. I want it separate. The only reason why I'm doing this application is for the baking part of it. How are you going to advertise? I have a website. So, uh, fearlesskitchenco.com and also I am at the local markets and word of mouth. Okay. Have you had the St. Louis health department in yet? Um, no. Because I thought this was the first step. I'm not really clear on the process. That's fine.

We have a letter of support from your elder person. These are questions we ask everybody. Will the use be detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, or general welfare? No. Will the use cause serious injury from neighboring properties by hindering use or reducing our impairment property values? No. Is there anything else you'd like to add? No, I'm just really excited about this. So, I'm just looking forward to being able to bake and and help the community and hopefully they'll enjoy my products. All right. Well, congratulations. Thank you.

Is there anybody here in support of this application that would like to speak? Is there anybody opposed to this application that would like to speak? Okay, we'll call this hearing heard. Thank you. Thank you so much. Have a great day. You too. Deborah, will you please read the next case? AOP13304-26 2701 North Vanderin Avenue. Excuse me. Zone M neighborhood commercial district worth 12.

Is there anybody here for 2701 North Vanderven? If you're on a phone, it's star six to unmute. 2701 North Vanderven as it academy and we'll move on and come back to them. Deborah, will you please read the next case?

Sure. A O13352-26 3443 Watson Road, zone F, Neighborhood Commercial District, Ward 4. Do I have anybody here for 3443 Watson? Hi, I'm Dan Emerson. I'm the attorney for the applicant. Can I get a mailing address for you? My mailing address is 261 Mackland Avenue 63139. Do you want to explain what you're doing?

Yes. Uh I am here this morning to request a continuence uh perhaps to a May docket. Um we are in the process of No, no. We are in the process of uh obtaining Alder Manin Neighborhood Association support. Just haven't had the the time to to have that for today's presentation. Okay, that's we can do that. Okay. Thank you. Um, you'll get a letter in the mail or you can call the office tomorrow and see when it's continued to you can have your the office. Thank you. I appreciate that. Do I have anybody that wanted to testify about Watson? Okay, we'll call this hearing heard.

Thank you very much. Have a good day. You too. Deborah, will you please read the next case? Okay, sure. AB 4 48 I'm sorry that's okay. AB 4841-26 3035 Bale Avenue zone F multiple family dwelling district W 11. Do I have anybody here for 3035 Bell Avenue? I'm I'm here. Yes, I'm here. Um are you the owner, Mr. Christmas? Yes. Sigma Legacy Foundation. Yes.

Can I get a mailing address near your name for the record and a mailing address? Okay. My name is Gerald Christmas, 7733 Foresight Boulevard, sweet 1165 St. Louis, Missouri 63105. You want to explain what you're doing here?

Yes. Where there is no vision, there is no hope. Which is my favorite quote from George Washington Carver. The George Washington Carver House located at 3035 Bale Avenue was founded in 1935, originally the Wesley House and renamed in 1943 with a mission to support the growing local African-American community in the area. The Sigma Legacy Foundation acquired the building in 2016 after it had been vacant for two decades and in disrepair. The Sigma Legacy Foundation is dedicated to continuing the heritage of the George Washington Carver House. Working through community partnerships, we will provide high quality physical spaces designed to support programming in agriculture, art, education, health, economics, housing, mentoring, legal counseling to a variety of audiences, including youth, students, community residents, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and seniors. We have a letter of support from the JBL Neighborhood Association, our alderwoman Laura Keys, and the First Baptist Church, which is directly across the street from us. All have been submitted uh on our behalf.

Thank you. What exactly are you going to be doing there? Uh it's going to be a community building like it originally was uh in the 1940s and we'll be operating our services and our community services out of the building. What kind of services? Uh we'll be doing as I indicated uh we'll be doing uh mentoring counseling along with other needs in the community. Okay. How many people will be at the um will be there at one time? Uh at one time I would say probably about uh 25 to 30 people possibly. Okay. Are you going to have classes? Yes.

What types of classes? We'll do some classes on um entrepreneurship. We'll do some classes on on small business. We'll do some classes on health. We'll do classes on leadership. All of those different uh needs that we see fit in the community. Okay. How many exits does the building have? Uh the building has uh two exits. Okay. The area we'll be working on. Yes. Do you have any off- streetet parking? Yes, we have off- streetet parking and then we have an agreement uh with First Baptist Church. I submitted that letter to also use their parking lot. Okay. Directly across the street from us.

Okay. What are the days and hours of operation you're going to operate? Uh we'll probably operate uh uh Monday uh through Sunday uh starting off uh Monday through Friday probably from 2 to 8:00 p.m. because most of our stuff will probably be after school and evening during the week and then on Saturday and Sundays um possibly from uh 9 to 5. What would be your ideal range of hours once you're fully open and expanded? Now's the time to talk about that so you don't have to come back for a hearing. I would say uh 9 to5. 9 to5. Mhm. Okay.

Will you sell anything? Not at this point. Okay. Are you going to add any signs outside? Uh we may have a sign on the front or the sign on the building. Okay. Make sure you get any signs you hang up permitted through the building division. Okay. Yes, ma'am. We also have our architect who's on the line too and he may can chime in. Um Okay. We have letters of support from your alderman and the letters you spoke of. These are questions we ask everybody. Will the use be detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, our general welfare?

No. Okay. Will the use cause serious injury to the neighboring property by hindering use or reducing our impair property value? No, not at all. Is there anything else you'd like to add? No, we'll be increasing the uh property value in that area and we've done significant amount of work to the building already to really stabilize the area. It had been a a very much an attractive nuisance um because it had been abandoned and unused for so long. So, it was a haven um for all type of criminal, drug, and prostitution activity. And we've been able to eliminate all of that to really make it a safe, walkable space.

Okay. Cuz thank you. Is there anybody here in support of this application that would like to speak? Alderwoman, can I get your name in a mail? Good morning. Currently, Laura, L A U R A Keys, K E Ys, and 1200 Market Street, room 230. What would you like to add, ma'am?

Well, I am so excited um for this project to really get moving. I've been involved with them since becoming uh the alderwoman of the elevated 11th ward. Um and I am very thankful to the organization for the way that they came into this project. Uh right across the street from them is Chambers Park. And again, this was a very challenging area. um their organization has actually worked with people in the community uh encouraging them to clean up the areas where they've been populating at the park across the street. The building is coming along beautifully. Uh very happy that the city was able to come in and assist them with some sidewalk uh work there. And so this is a winwin for our city and a winwin for the elevated 11th ward as well as the organization.

Thank you. Is there anybody else in favor of this application that would like to speak?

Good morning, Miss Andrew. This is Ferog at 11:26 Sutter Avenue, 63130. uh I am here to support as a community partner and as a beneficiary of the programs and services that the Sigma Legacy Foundation offers to the community. I myself who uh oversees a youth organization as well. uh we intend to be a great partner um utilizing this very critical space and as well as um if you all remember um if you recognize the area that we service a lot of students um at Carver Elementary School which is literally a block away and so the partnership with SLPS our youth organization the servant of families um especially the single mothers in the area u it'll be a very beneficial and a very exciting opportunity for the JVL area when this community center is up and running and so we look forward to serving uh the community and we look serving to be a benefit uh to the city. Thank you. Is there anybody else in favor of this application that would like to speak?

If you're on a phone it's star six to unmute.

Good morning. My name is Robert Jordan Jr. I'm also supporting this application because looking at what's going on critical in our neighborhoods, that neighborhood is needed some rebirth, some reaffirmation. The organization benefits our youth and we see what's going on with our youth in the areas and our neighborhoods as a point right now. It's beneficial that we guide them and intellig and and give them that that forward drive. I think it's important that they see representatives of their own community. They have a drive that can support them as they continue to grow, not only in education, but just personality and how these things and how to conduct themselves within their community because as we breathe into them, they will continue to breathe into that community, breathe into that neighborhood. That's a plus for everyone around there. So, I do support it. I think it's a plus. I think it's beneficial to our community, our culture, our neighborhood in the city of St. Louis, that is something that we can represent. So, I do support that.

Can I get a mailing address for you, Mr. Jordan? You surely can. Right now, 4119 McCree, 63110. Thank you very much. Is there anybody else in favor of this application that would like to speak? Yes, this is Jason Thornton located at 2011 South Central Avenue, Sweet 102, St. Louis, Missouri 63105. What would you like to add, sir?

Yes. So, I am a financial advisor here in the city of St. Louis, uh, partnering with the organization dedicated to be able to bring financial literacy programs to the community through this organization and it's something that is greatly greatly needed and I think it would be a great impact to the community. Thank you. Thank you. Is there anybody else here that would like to speak in favor of this application? Is there anybody opposed to this application?

Okay, we'll call this hearing her. Deborah, will you please read the one we skipped over on Van Deven? Sure. AOP13304-26 2701 North Vender Avenue zone F neighborhood commercial district 412. Do I have anybody here for 2701 North Vander?

Okay, we'll call this hearing heard.