(West Newsmagazine)
The initial public comments segment of the first of two public hearing topics at the Nov. 23 Maryland Heights Planning & Zoning Commission, lasted well over an hour. Nearly a dozen Chesterfield residents showed up to voice concern over a proposed rail/truck facility proposed for 149 River Valley Drive. A subsequent parcel at 860 Hog Hollow Road would be added should an overflow venue be required.
Precision Vehicle Holding, LLC is seeking to purchase that Maryland Park Lake District property, measuring nearly 4 million square feet, with an initial request to have it rezoned from Non-Urban District to Planned District-Manufacturing.
As noted in a proposal sent to the city of Maryland Heights, the purpose of the purchase is to “permit marshalling, storage and distribution by rail and car carriers of new production vehicles originating from the General Motors assembly plant at 15 E. Route A in Wentzville.”
The River Valley parcel is currently agricultural.
Under the proposal, it is set to feature an administration building of some 3,500 square feet and a truck repair facility of 9,500 square feet. Missouri American Water Company has a treatment plant just south and west of the entire proposed development while Chesterfield residential subdivisions are just south of the site.
The public hearings began peacefully as city planner Erin Lorusso presented the details of the project’s concept development plan.
Lorusso offered slides regarding the land use and stormwater for the property. The site’s location is noted as “within the Creve Coeur Creek watershed and drains to the south and east to the State Route 364 mitigation area per the Maryland Park Lake District.” Several bioretention basins for water quality and a wet pond are being proposed to help with flood protection.
Brett Griffin and Darrin McElroy, who founded Precision Holdings in 2014, shared a video that showed the process of loading passenger vehicles on rail cars from Wentzville and unloading them at the Maryland Heights site.
The 10-hour employee shifts of 6 a.m.-4 p.m. and 4 p.m.-2 a.m. were met with some resistance by residents.
There would be two delivery loads each day. One would be in the morning, but far larger protests were lodged regarding any noise from evening train runs between 4:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. However, the applicants noted that, unlike other rail traffic, noise levels would also be limited to those associated with a 15 mph speed. Still, a resident complained that the noise from the connecting and disconnecting of couplings would be far too loud, especially at night when sound travels farther.
Other fervent residential complaints focused on the fact that those homes in Chesterfield that are high on the bluff would be just several hundred feet from the proposed site. Residents mentioned flooding issues even during a period or two of heavy rain, environmental issues and the fact that, despite a selling point being jobs, there would be a maximum of just 25 employees on the site.
One resident claimed that the constant trips between Wentzville and Maryland Heights make no sense due to ever-increasing fuel costs. Another said the proposed two-year construction alone would add a great deal of noise and destroy property values. It also was noted that most comparable facilities in the U.S. are built in manufacturing areas, not agricultural and residential areas.
Whereas all the dissenting comments met with thunderous applause from the huge gathering, there was far less acknowledgment of comments by those in favor. Those included the fact that municipalities have a right to develop their own land as long as doing so is within all guidelines of municipal, state and federal laws.
After additional vetting, the commission voted 4-2 in favor of approving the conceptual development plan with conditions. Lorusso noted that the applicants need to focus most on conducting a noise study and on the building design, which currently features corrugated metals that are not allowed by city standards.
Commission chairman Darrell Baker voiced hope that the applicants will reach out to the property owners regarding the issues they mentioned in the meeting.
An open meeting on the project will be held on Dec. 14.
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