Housing, Urban Development and Zoning - Regular Meeting

Okay, we'll go ahead and get started. Good morning, everybody. My name is Sandra Long, Hearing Officer for the City of St. Louis Conditional Use Hearings. I will be conducting today's scheduled hearing on applications for our Conditional Use Permit We are recording these hearings as a permanent record. We ask that you remain on mute if you are not giving testimony. If you are calling in by phone, it is star six to mute and unmute. If multiple people are sharing a screen, we ask that only one people speak at a time and please restrain from side conversations during the individual's testimonies. These requests are made so we can accurately record the information and hear from those giving testimony. When each address is called, I ask that the applicant or representative indicate you are present. I will then ask you to state your name and your address for the record. 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 decision 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. The first case is AH013479-26, Null Heating and Cooling, Minor Home Improvement, LLC. Premier of Jamel Dean Noel, 6116 Idaho Avenue, Ward 3, Zone A, Single Family Dwelling District. Do I have anybody here for 6116 Idaho? No. Okay, I'll call her when it's her turn. Okay, it doesn't look like I have anybody here for 6116 Idaho, so we'll move on and come back to them later. The next address is AH013503-26 Magic Chef Mansion, care of Shelly Donahoe, 3400 Russell Boulevard, Ward 6, Zone D, Multiple Family Dwelling District. Do I have anybody here for 3400 Russell Boulevard? Shelly, that's you. Yes. Can you hear me? Yes. Can you turn your camera on? Do you know how? Let's see. Oh, just click on the icon. That's okay. You don't have to have it on. She doesn't have it. Okay.

Oh, okay. Sorry.

Can I get a name and your name and mailing address for the record, please?

My name is Shelly Donahoe and my address is 3400 Russell Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri, 63104. Okay.

Do you want to explain a little bit of what you're planning to do here?

Sure. I want to do tours of my home. I've been doing tours of my home since about 2007, but I was also doing weddings and events. And now I want to only do tours. And the reason why is my goal is to try to lower my property taxes because I am deemed commercial because of doing the weddings and events. And so the tours, I have six scheduled on my website for 2006. And I also do private, those are public tours. And then I also do private tours, not that many, but on an average, I would say 24 private tours per year, perhaps. And so it's very low cost. business, if you want to call it. Um, and, um, people on a public tour, we'd be open from two to 5 PM on a Saturday. And then the private tour passed about an hour, maybe an hour and a half. So, um, uh, anyway, um, uh, So I'm hoping I can get the designation. Okay. Oh, they have to make a reservation.

Okay. For a private tour. They can't just show up.

And I don't have hours except for when I do have a public tour. Okay. That's good.

Are you going to hire anybody to work with you or will you work by yourself?

I work by myself. Okay. I have docents that help a volunteer when I do a public tour. Okay.

But you don't hire anybody?

No.

Okay.

And the reason I do tours is to help raise money to help lower my taxes. Okay. I understand that. Do you advertise? I do on Facebook. I'll put something out on Facebook.

Okay.

I just put something out on Facebook for my June 6th tour.

Okay. Is that the only place you advertise? Yes.

I guess it goes to Instagram too. So yeah, they're tied together. Right.

I have a letter of support from your alderman and a bunch of other letters of support. So that's all good. So 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 to the neighboring property by hindering use or reducing our impairment property values?

No. Is there anything else you'd like to add? Well, they're very quiet tours. There's no loud music and very low impact on, I guess, the environment. So basically, Nobody would know I'm even giving a tour when I'm giving one.

Is there room for everybody to park in your driveway?

On a public tour, they have to park on the street out in front, and I face a park, so there's a lot of room for parking on Russell. The driveway can accommodate only so many cars, maybe 10 or 12 cars, but usually there's no issue with parking on Russell.

How many people do you usually have on a tour? I'm sorry? How many people do you usually have on a tour at a time?

The public tours can range. Usually a Christmas tour is more attended, but they can be like from 100 people to maybe 400 people on a public tour from 2 to 5 p.m. Those are self-guided. And a private tour, they... Usually they come by a bus if they're from like an older adult home situation or some group. They travel by bus. And if they are on a smaller bus, they can park on my driveway. And the private tours are usually about up to 25 people. In size.

Okay. And you said the public tours are, how many do you have a year?

I have six scheduled on my website.

Okay.

And you can see the dates. There's one in August or one in June, one in August, and then two in October and two in December.

Okay.

And they're out there on the website.

Okay. All righty. Thank you very much for your testimony. Is there anybody here that's in favor of this application that would like to speak? Is there anybody opposed to this application? I just want to say, I speak in favor. Okay. Let me get your name and address for the record, please.

Oh, Ann Stanley. get the mailing address where you can receive mail 3634 arsenal street this is saint louis would you like to add oh i i just want to add that uh this is like she said this is something she's no longer doing event planning or party or events weddings and parties which were much more intensive use involved several days of setup, the event, then several days of take it down for the neighborhood. She had weddings up to several hundred people, sometimes outside. So this was less intensive and frequent. As she said, she does the public tours that she advertises, but those are no different than she used to always have. do from April to September public tours with her neighborhood association. And they were the ones that served and they got part of the proceeds. So she had been doing that for years, probably 10 or so. She also does the Compton Heights Home Tour, which has a lot of people, several hundreds of people on a tour. And so this is a lot less intensive. Usually the ones I work with are private tours that are booked in advance, are arrived by bus. They come from out of state or out state Missouri, like Joplin or Kansas City. This is just one stop on usually a day tour where they stop here. They may stop at the couple's house. They go to restaurants in town. So it kind of, I think, fits in that home occupation where it's something to supplement the maintenance and ongoing care of the house, utilities and things, but it's less intensive than the previous one.

Has there ever been any problem with anybody parking? Any complaints about parking?

No. I'll be right with you, sir.

Just a minute.

She's bookended by two apartment buildings. They have parking for their tenants and everything like that, but pretty much from Russell to Compton, there is on street parking, but there's very little parking taken during the day or night.

Okay. I just wanted to make sure with 400 people coming that there was no problems with parking.

Yeah.

No. Okay. Well, thank you very much for your testimony. Okay. Is there anybody else here in favor 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. Sir, what address were you here for?

6116 Idaho.

Okay, we already called yours, so you're going to be at the end, so just hang tight and I'll call you when we're done, okay?

Yes, ma'am.

Okay, for the next address at 313 Belt, I have somebody in the office. I'm going to turn my camera around so you can see her. Okay. The next address is AOP 13499-26, Ketchler Shaw, K-O-L-L-C, care of Carrie Bells and Nyet Shaw, or doing business as Carrie Bells, care of Nyet Shaw, 313 Bell Avenue, Ward 10, Zone F, Neighborhood Commercial District. You need to speak loud. Okay. Can I get your name and address for the record, please?

Nyet Shaw. Nyet Shaw. 3915 Pennsylvania Avenue, 63118.

Do you want to explain what you're doing here?

I was told that I needed a hearing because I had sidewalk tables. Okay, so what kind of business are you doing? It's an ice cream shop and a bakery, and it's been an ice cream shop and a bakery for about five years. Has it been yours? No, I just purchased it from someone.

But you're in sidewalk seating?

No, it was already there also, so I'm actually confused as to why I'm here.

Okay, I'm going to have a few questions for you.

Okay.

How big is your shop?

Um, and what is 13 by, I don't have my, that's okay. Um, 13 by, um, 26 feet.

How many people will the shop accommodate?

Uh, the fire person said 50, 52 or something like that.

And how many people outside do you know?

Um, outside maybe, um, 10 to 15. Okay.

Is this seating on the sidewalk or on your property?

It's a very wide sidewalk. So you probably know it's actually sit closer to the street and then there's the sidewalk.

So you're probably going to have to get an encroachment permit from the Board of Public Service or the sidewalk.

The previous owner said she already went through.

You're a new owner. Well, it's going to have to be in your name now.

OK, well, it's it's on the sidewalk. The sidewalk is huge. It doesn't obstruct.

So if you're in the public right away, no matter how big the sidewalk is, you need an encroachment permit. You just have to check into it.

So that's not what this is like. This is a sidewalk table. This is for the whole business. Oh, okay.

Do we serve anything in addition to ice cream?

Baked goods, cakes, cinnamon rolls, cookies.

Are you going to serve any alcohol?

No.

And you're not going to be doing any cooking in there?

Yes.

You're going to be baking? Yes. Okay. What's your days and hours of operation?

I want to do like 10 to 7 and then later hours on Friday and Saturday until 9 and 10. Until 10? Yeah. On Saturday nights and then Sundays probably early, maybe 12 to 6 or something.

And Friday and Saturday later?

Yes.

Okay. Do you have access to a commercial dumpster? Yes.

Okay.

Do you have a walk-up window or a drive-thru?

No.

Are you going to post any signs, any new signs?

No, just on the window.

Well, that'll need sign permits. Anything that advertises is considered a sign. So even if it's on your window, if it's like a cling or something, that'll need a sign permit for that.

Okay.

So you get them through room 425 at City Hall, or we can help you here.

Okay.

Have you had any of your inspections done yet?

Yes, all of them. Okay.

Just waiting on this. Let me see.

And I also have a letter of support from the Neighborhood Association. I'll take that. Thank you.

Have you got anything from your alderman?

She actually sent me to the Neighborhood Association. Yes, I mean, I spoke with her and her secretary.

Okay, 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 to the neighboring property by hindering use or reducing our property values? Is there anything else you'd like to add?

No, I just hope that I can get this all wrapped up soon because it's costing me a lot of money not being able to.

You'll get your decision in 12 days from today. 12 days? Yes, that's how long it takes. We write it up, send it to the Board of Public Service, and they make the decision. Okay?

Okay.

Okay, well, thank you very much for your testimony. Is there anybody online 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. You said 7429?

To apply for Simon. That's what you'll need, pictures and stuff.

I probably have some. Is there, so I guess, anything else? That's all that I know.

Okay, the next one is at AOP13486-26, Project Box, LLC, doing business as analog, care of Timothy Garrett, 3123 Morgan Ford Road, first floor, Ward 6, Zone F, Neighborhood Commercial District. Good morning, can I get your name and address, please?

Good morning. My name is Tim Garrett. My business address is 3123 Morgan Ford, St. Louis, Missouri, 63116.

Can you receive mail there?

Yes.

Okay. Do you want to explain what you're doing?

Sure. I have been involved with photo booths for the past 25 years. And typically photo booths show up in your neighborhood bar and movie theater and whatnot. And the idea with this business is that it's just a space dedicated to photo booths. So it's two rooms that have a few photo booths that people can come and use multiple photo booths in one sitting.

Okay. Will you sell any products?

We will have a few sort of photo frames and things like that that people can buy to use along with their photos. And I think we'll have maybe t-shirts at some point, but currently we just have photo frames and things like that.

What are your days and hours of operation?

Currently, we're just open on the weekends, Friday and Saturday from 10 to 10, and then Sunday from 10 to 4. The goal is to widen those hours a little bit once we see the kind of activity that we're getting, but currently just weekends.

Right now is the time to talk about your hours because they're going to be a condition of your business. So what would your ideal hours be?

Um, ideally, I think would be a few more weekdays, you know, from afternoon to evening. So I'd say like, noon to noon to 10, I would say on weekdays.

Do you want to do that as seven days of the week just to just so you don't have to come back here? If you change?

Yeah, what does it make sense to kind of make it bigger rather than smaller?

Yeah, it makes sense to make it bigger because that way you have room to expand it.

Yeah, so let's just say 10 to 10, seven days a week.

Okay. That way you don't have to come back if you want to expand your hours.

That's great.

Is the studio handicap accessible?

The front room is handicapped. Well, I guess... It's sort of a split-level building, so you can get in the top level from the front and the bottom level you can get from the back.

Okay. Do you have access to a commercial dumpster?

I do not currently.

You have to get access to one or get one of your own. You're not allowed to use city services for private businesses.

Got it.

Okay. Are you going to hang any signage?

Just vinyl decals in the windows.

Those will need to be permitted, okay? So you need to get permits for those.

Okay.

Anything that advertises your business is considered signage. Have you reached out to your alderman? I think I have a letter here. Yeah, I do have a letter here from your alderman.

Yes.

And from Crispin Bishop. Okay. Okay. 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 to the neighboring property by hindering use or reducing our impairment property values?

No.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I don't think so. Thank you.

Okay. Well, thank you very much. Is there anybody here in support of this application that would like to speak? Is there anybody here opposed to this application that would like to speak? Okay, we'll call this hearing heard. The next two hearings I'm going to hear together, but I'm going to read them both first. AB 5342-26 Jamaica Showers Play Care Center, LLC, Camaro, Jamaica Showers, 4521 Natural Bridge Avenue, Ward 11, Zone F, Neighborhood Commercial District, and AB 5344-26 Jamaica Showers Play Care Center, LLC, Camaro, Jamaica Showers, 4517 Natural Bridge Avenue, Ward 11, Zone F, Neighborhood Commercial District. Do I have anybody here for this address? Jamaica? We're here. Okay. Can I get a name and mailing address for you? It's star six to unmute. Jamaica, are you here? You're muted. I'm sorry, what did you ask for? Your name and a mailing address.

Oh, Jamaica Showers, 4520 Natural Bridge, St. Louis, Missouri, 6315.

Do you want to explain what you're doing?

It's a summer camp during the day for children in North City, St. Louis, and it's open to other daycares to use as well.

Is it something else in the evening? No. Okay. How many children do you anticipate having?

Hold on, let me see. 60. Up to 60. Up to 60.

Now, is this a vacant lot or do you have buildings on here?

No, it's just a lot.

And how are you going to handle, like, what if there was a tornado or if children have to use the restroom, things like that? Can you tell me?

We have a mobile, those mobile porta potties and sanitation stations. If there was a tornado, we would go to the building across the street, to the basement.

Whose building is it across the street?

It's today here.

There's a daycare across the street? Is it your daycare?

Yes.

Okay. Let's see. How many staff will you have? 15. 15? Okay. Will you explain the use of the pavilion?

The pavilion is a shelter in case of inclement weather, like rain. Also shade for the children.

Okay. And do you have a shipping container on the property? I do not have a shipping container as of now. Okay. And what is a Gaga pit?

A Gaga Pit is a game. You could consider it like a huge dodgeball game. It's like a giant ball in the middle and the kids roll the ball around.

Okay. What other activities will the children do while they're at day camp?

We'll have arts and crafts. We'll do archery. We'll do kite making. and various other arts and crafts over the summer.

Okay.

We'll play sports, soccer, kickball, volleyball, t-ball.

What are your days and hours of operation?

Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Okay. Are you going to provide meals?

We provide morning snack, afternoon snack.

So are these an all-day camp?

It's an all-day camp for those who qualify.

Well, where do they get lunch? Do they bring their own lunch then? Will they bring their own breakfast and lunch?

No, it'll be a morning snack. And it depends because, as I had stated before, other daycares will be able to use this facility. So if they'll have breakfast before they come at their daycare center, before bringing those kids to camp.

Okay.

So I said it's an a.m. snack and a p.m. snack.

Will you provide transportation?

No, the transportation will be, for the kids enrolled in my daycare, I will provide the transportation to and from camp. Other facilities who are using the camp, they'll provide daycare to and from camp.

Is the site fenced or with the controlled access? Is the site fenced in? It'll be fenced in, yes. It's not yet?

Not yet. Okay.

Do you have access to a commercial dumpster?

Yes. Okay.

Are you going to post signs anywhere? On the fence. Okay. You'll need to get sign permits for that. Okay. Have you reached out to your alderman or neighborhood association? Yes. And did you get any response from them?

I had a meeting with her via Zoom. and she's supposed to look over my proposal.

But she hasn't gotten back with you?

I haven't been able to contact her since we had the first initial meeting.

When did you have the meeting?

Three weeks ago.

Okay. Okay. These are questions I ask everybody. Will the use be detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, or general welfare? No. Will the use cause serious injury to the neighboring property by hindering use or reducing our impairment property values? No. Is there anything else you'd like to add?

No, not at this time.

Any questions?

No.

Is there anybody here in favor of this application that would like to speak? Is there anybody opposed to this application that would like to speak?

Excuse me. We, if some of us on here, we said yes, but we didn't, I just told us how to unmute.

So you're yes. Okay. Can I get your name and a mailing address?

Yes. It's Arius Ellis. And my address is 3949 Lexington Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, 63107.

Can you say your name again? I had to turn my volume up. Arius, A-R-I-E-I-S.

And what's your last name? Ellis, E-L-L-I-S. Okay, what would you like to add? That she's bringing in places for our other kids to go as far as child care for field trips because we run out of places to attend because everything else that is basically designed for younger children is too far away for us to come back and then have meals on time.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

No, I want it in the neighborhood that we live in.

Okay, thank you. Is there anybody else that would like to speak in favor of this application? It's star six to unmute if you want to speak.

Yes.

Okay, can I get your name?

Hi, this is Wendy Robinson. Can I get your first name, please?

Wendy, okay. Wendy. Wendy.

What would you like to add, ma'am? I just wanted to add that I think it's a great opportunity for the neighborhood. It's somewhere I grew up at, and I have children in the neighborhood, and I think it's a great idea for something for our children.

Okay, thank you. Did you give me your mailing address? I'm sorry.

4215 West Ashland. Thank you. St. Louis, Missouri, 6315.

Is there anybody else online that would like to speak in favor of this application? Is there anybody opposed to this application? Okay, we'll call this one heard. Thank you all for coming in. We're going to go back to our first one. Thank you. AH 0-13479-26, Knoll Heating and Cooling, Minor Home Improvement, LLC, care of Jamel D. Knoll, 6116 Idaho Avenue, Ward 3, Zone A, Single Family Dwelling Visitor. Do I have somebody here for 6116 Idaho?

Yes.

Can I get your name and a mailing address, please?

Jamel Noel, 6116 Idaho Avenue.

Do you want to explain what you're doing here?

Yes. I'm trying to open up an administrative office in my single family home just for office for mailing. No work on the side of my home, only on contract through complexes and government subsidized housing. And I'm trying to perform and create a business for the community also I live in for residential as well.

Okay. What kind of business?

Heating and cooling and minor home improvement, such as, yes.

That's okay. You can keep going.

Oh, yes, such as me actually creating a comfortable living for the residents that's in my community and the surrounding areas of St. Louis, as well as trying to open up an expiring company for St. Louis.

Okay. Now you can have people work for you, but they can't meet at your house, okay?

Exactly. That's the home point. No one on site. Yes, ma'am. Everything will be done only on site. Nothing will be at my residence at all. I'm going to just basically be using my resident address for just mailing home.

Okay. Will you do rehab work or new construction or both?

Say it again.

Will you be doing rehab work or new construction?

Rehab.

Okay. How long have you been doing this type of business?

10 years. I got my HVAA degree in 2017, my engineer's license as well.

Okay.

Better Rock Technical College.

Okay. How will you dispose of debris?

Debris, well, it actually will be on site. It will usually be a house. We'll have a trash can, probably 24 to 34 foot long. And about 8 to 10 foot wide, we have to get rid of any debris, but strictly be on site of the property that I'm basically managing.

Okay. Will you store anything outside your house, such as tools or lighters or anything?

No.

Okay. Are you going to have any signage on your vehicles?

No.

Okay. Well, if you do, make sure you get the magnetic kind you can take off if you need to park on the street.

Okay. Yes. Yes, ma'am. I'm only going to use my, I'm only going to market on, uh, via internet and, uh, social media.

Okay. Let's see here. Have you reached out to your alderman?

I have. He hadn't gotten back at me yet, but, but I have been still continuously emailing him for, uh, approval or conversation about if he think it's a good idea or not.

Okay. All right, these are questions I ask everybody. Will the use be detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, or general welfare?

No.

Will the use cause serious injury to the neighboring property by hindering use or reducing our inherent property values?

No.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

No, ma'am.

Okay, well, thank you for coming out, and I'm glad you made it on. You have a good day, okay?

You too, ma'am. You have a great day.

Okay, and we'll call this hearing heard.

Okay. How long do it?

It takes about two weeks to get your, about two weeks. You'll have your results. Okay.

Oh, okay. Thank you very much. You have a good rest of the day.

All right. You too. Thank you. Bye-bye.