Planning & Zoning Commission - Regular Meeting

Uh, I'd like to call to order the January 6, uh, 2026 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting for the city of Fenton. Uh, our first order of, uh, on the agenda is our pledge of allegiance. Okay, thank you. Um, next is our roll call. And, uh, I guess is Secretary Abbott out tonight? She is. Okay. So, um, I think I can do it. Or would you like to do it? Amy,

doesn't matter. I can do it. Okay. If you don't mind. Not at all. Chairperson Yman here. Vice Chairperson Cheryl here. Alderman Harrell here. Mayor Moran here. Commissioner Borhees here. Commissioner Glover here. Nelson, Bilicky, Abbott, and Wisprock are excused. We have six for a quorum.

Okay, that's I was kind of looking around. We feel a little light tonight. Glad we made it. Okay, so uh we also have in the audience uh Alderman uh Hules. Robin, nice to see you. Um okay, next is our notice to the public and ground rules. So, uh, if you wish to speak, please pick up a speaker request form. These forms are located at the sign-in table. Please complete the form and present it to, uh, normally Secretary Dab AB Deb Abbott. We can give it to Vice Chairperson Cheryl. Uh, prior to the public comment section of this agenda. The chairperson will call your name during the public comment section of the agenda. Your comments and questions from the members of the public will be limited to three minutes. You will not be recognized to speak until you have filled out the form. Please address all comments to the planning and zoning commission. If you have a question for a petitioner, please address that question directly to the commission. All questions will be referred to uh the petitioners at the end of the public comment portion of the agenda. The commission demands respect and courtesy for others during the proceedings. Inappropriate behavior will result in the forfeite of the speaker's allotted time and may result in removal from the proceedings. The planning and zoning commission wants to hear what you have to say about the items on today's agenda as it relates to cases at present. Uh, additionally, um, the we have a notice to petitioners. So, our next board committee meeting is Thursday, January 8th, 2026. And our next board of alderman meeting and public hearing is Thursday, January 22nd, 2026. And uh last a simple majority vote of the commission shall be necessary to constitute a positive recommendation to the board of alderman. Okay, that takes us through our notices. And so our next item on the agenda is

approval of the minutes from the December 2nd, 2025 meeting. Uh did anyone have any questions regarding the minutes? Okay, hearing none, I'll go ahead and move for approval of the December 2nd uh minutes. Can I get a second? A second. I have a second. All in favor? I

I. Any opposed? Hey, the minutes are approved. Moving right along. Uh we have our public comments section of the agenda now and I assume we have none. Okay. So, uh, on to old business, of which there is also none. So, we will move to new business. And we have one case tonight, 2026 SUB01. A petition by GravoY Bluffs 3 LLC to subdivide one existing lot into two lots. The existing lot is addressed as 695 Gravoy Bluffs Boulevard and a zone C1 commercial district. Amy, did you want to provide a summary, please?

Sure. Uh the petitioner is proposing to subdivide an existing lot known as adjusted lot 9 in Gravaway Bluffs East to create a new outlot that will be located north of Starbucks within the southern portion of the parking lot of the former Big Lots future HES location. Uh the purpose of the new outlot is for future development. Um the lot is accessed by um the existing entrance off of Gravoy Bluffs Boulevard and a new cross access and parking easement will be established on the west side of the new lot. Um minor subdivisions require that the lots must meet all applicable requirements of the zoning code. So the lot will meet the minimum requirements minimum lot size for the district. Um there will be some minor amendments needed to the plat to indicate the front setbacks along the access easements um which will be covered under the conditions of approval. Um the lot however will not meet the landscape or buffer area requirements of the dis district district. So the petitioner is requesting a departure from the landscape requirements pursuant to section 44050 um since it would require the removal of a significant portion of the existing pavement just to approve the plat in order to create the lot. Um however because this is being created for future development the landscape and buffer requirements will be reviewed at the time of site development for compliance with the code. So, the future site development will still need to meet the landscape buffer requirements. This modification is just to allow the lot to be created without having to remove the uh existing pavement.

Okay. Thank you. So, we don't see subdivisions that often. And for that reason, I'm going to ask some maybe dumb questions, but I'd like to make sure I understand. So, uh, first off, the picture that shows 695, I think in its present state as a long triangle, is that in fact a depiction of how the lot is shaped today?

No. Um, adjusted lot 9 is actually includes this whole area here. This is just the uh line separating the um area A and area B. Um okay. Uh sales tax pool. Got it. That's that's why it kind of looks funky like that. But no, the um adjusted lot 9 is essentially it goes all the way over to the end of um uh at home. Okay. And so this subdivision will then create a new lot that in the red box there

that is I guess it's not considered wholly within the other lot I suppose because it sort of shares a border on the western side with what is the existing lot. Not not that that's entirely critical or anything, but I just sorry I'm going back to my property law days and I know sticking one lot entirely in the middle of another lot is generally a little different. You don't see that very often. Um here I think it makes sense given the nature of the development, but just kind of curious about sort of the understanding of what the new lot will entail. if you want to just respond to that question about the border and being wholly within the other lot.

I guess I guess so the question is I mean it will have access from the existing um entrance here off of Graway Bluffs Boulevard via rightway. Okay. Yeah. So there is a is access this access um Yeah. It's not an established road. It's an access point. Yeah. Yeah. Y um and then a a cross access and parking um will be established here on the west side of the lot. Okay. Um and I think we have a petitioner here. Yeah.

Well, if you don't mind, I don't know that we have anyone online. I think we might actually. So, uh if you could just state your name and address for the record. Sure. Bill Apple Bomb with GJ Grey, Grabway Bluffs 3 LLC, 9109 Watson Road. Welcome. So if you to go back to the Walmart days, we did the exact same thing where you now see Panda Express. Okay.

So you've got when we think about Chesterfield Commons, they learned from our mistakes, if you will. We have seas of parking where Chesterfield Common has layers of lots in front of their retail. We did not do that. We get calls all the time, can we create more lots? We've got in this instance plenty of parking especially after the reduction to I think it was four or four and a half per thousand. So we created the lot in front of Walmart. All the access none of that changes. What we did on the west side as Amy suggested with the access easement is we're not touching any of the drive lines. All the truck routes will remain the same. You'll come in, you'll go left, you'll circle behind the buildings to keep the integrity of the shopping center. Just

Sure. Tonight I'm creating the lot so then I can come back with site plan approved and as Amy said whatever we have to do to maintain landscape etc. Okay. And just to understand the sort of way the city thinks about the development of the land because I mean you're still going to own both lots. The the simple part of my brain is like why can't you just build the building in that part of the parking lot? And I guess the reason why is because that would then make it a part of the site plan for the entire lot. Well, there's a lot of reasons. Okay, one, I got a loan on back of the shopping center. I would naturally get a loan to develop the new outlot.

You're not able to do that. So, the lender who has control of the shopping center would see that as an addition to the existing correct real estate where they're lean existing that parcel part of this. I see that makes a lot of sense. Okay. Uh, thank you for the education on that. Um, any other questions for Amy or the petitioner? Okay. Um, I don't think I have any further questions and makes a lot of sense. Uh, does anybody have any questions about the whole part where, you know, there's supposed to be a landscape buffer? That'll come later. Okay. With the site plan review.

Okay. Yeah.

Okay. All right. So, hearing no further questions, I'll go ahead and move uh for uh approval of case 2026 SUV1, a petition by Graway Bluffs 3 LLC to subdivide one existing lot into two lots. The existing lot is addressed to 695 Gravo Bluffs Boulevard and is owned C1 Commercial District. Oh, wait a minute. There's supposed to be conditions. I apologize. Uh if you don't mind coming back to the podium, I should uh read into the record specific conditions that have been recommended by the city. And if you could just acknowledge these. Um first uh that this approval is for the subdivision of one lot addressed as 695 Gravway Bluffs Boulevard into two lots as shown on the plat submitted with the application dated December 3rd, 2025 with the following amendments. A uh indicate the proposed plat as final plat of Graway Bluffs Plat 14. That work?

Sure.

Okay. B indicate the required 15- ft front setbacks along streets and access easements. And then C under municipal certification provide for the signature of the planning and zoning chairperson in lie of the community development director. Okay. Uh condition two, this approval includes a departure from the buffer area requirements for proposed lot one. The buffer area's requirements will be reviewed for compliance at the time of site development. Third, the petitioner shall be responsible for recording the plat with the St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds within 60 days after the signing of the plat by the city and shall return three copies of the recorded plat to the city. If the recorded plat is not filed within this period, the approval shall expire. Fourth, uh, permanent and/or semi-permanent monuments shall be set at all lock corners within 12 months after the recording of the approved plat. And last, compliance with all other applicable codes and ordinances of the city of Fenton. Okay. Thank you. So, with those conditions, I'll go ahead and move for approval of case 2026, SUB01, as previously stated, uh, with the conditions added. Uh, can I get a second? Here we have a second. Uh, can we do a roll call vote, please?

Chairperson Yman, I. Commissioner Vorhees, I. Vice Chairperson Cheryl, I. Mayor Morath, I. Alderman Harrell, I. Commissioner Glover, hi. Motion approved. All right. Great. Thank you very much. Thank you. About the right month. Okay. Um that concludes our new business. So we'll move on to our announcements. Uh first is the report from the community development department. Uh Amy,

um we have not one new petition for February. Um and we'll also be bringing the request to reszone um certain St. Louis County NU parcels to um the city's uh NU residential district to comply with the comprehensive plan. Okay. Thank you. That one might be a little more well attended.

Okay. All right. Uh, fair enough. Uh, next is a report from the chairperson. Um, I don't have a whole lot uh to report. I hope everyone had a wonderful new year and, uh, Christmas or other holiday. Um, hopefully it was a relaxing time and everyone's entering into 2026 healthy. Um, next is our report from the mayor.

Okay. Very quickly, um, let me report that one of our longtime Fenton residents, Jack Brandt, who moved here with his family, uh, 1963, uh, Jack ran for alderman in 1970 and again in 71. Um, was always active in the community in one form or another. In 1987, he became a member of this planning and zoning commission and served till 91. uh recently passed away. So I feel uh uh honored to have known him and uh would like those included my comments included in the minutes. Uh so condolences to uh to Jack Brandt. His daughter actually is one of our Fenton residents and is vice chair of the plan of the parks and wreck tree advisory board. So she kind of followed up, you know, in his footsteps serving the city. So, we appreciate that. Um, I always look for things that would be interesting to this board as far as planning and zoning issues go and but I think you know as much as I do. You know, the staff and and the alderman have been working really hard. We've made a lot of improvements. We're doing a lot of tree trimming, tree cutting, tree removing, dead trees, um invasive honeysuckle removal. Um if you haven't had a chance, go up to the Fabic Nature Preserve. There's a new row iron fence that really looks nice in lie of the chain link fence. But we've got a lot of things planned, capital improvements planned. We're going to talk again Thursday approval to revamp every uh restroom. Uh start to finish, inside and out, every restroom in the city. Make them um bring them up to date, very clean. I'm tired of going in and seeing, you know, dirty restrooms myself. So, uh, with the

staff and the board, everybody is. So, I I really want you to to to look around, pay attention, and and there's a lot of people that have done a lot of hard work, you know, give those people a lot of credit and accolades. So, with that, um, that's about all I have. Great. I'll just make note of the fact that the pickle ball courts seem to be a big hit. I, uh, have used them myself. Play ball when you wouldn't catch me out there. You've got to be freezing. And we've already had they want eight more. Yeah. I'm not surprised. It was packed tonight. Yeah. Yeah. Amazing. Any warm day you see folks out there or kind of warm day.

All right. Well, thank you, mayor. Um, next is our report from the planning and zoning liaison. Okay. All I have is last last month uh the board of alderman approved case 2025 SP01 the Texas pro signs on behalf of Crunch Fitness. That was approved and that's going forward. Great. All I have

Thank you. Uh report from other commissioners. Anyone else? Okay. Well, that uh brings us to the end of the agenda. Um, our next planning and zoning meeting is Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026 at 7 p.m. at city hall. So, with that, I'll go ahead and move that we adjourn. Uh, can I get a second? Second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Meetings adjourn. Thank you.