(This appeared on July 8 in West Newsmagazine)
Now that firm plans are in place for the new Ballwin police department building, to be located on Kehrs Mill Bend Court behind the Regions Bank at 14915 Manchester Road, a good deal of attention is being focused on what to do with the old government building site and its surrounding area.
In fact, that was the lone topic of discussion at the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) meeting on Tuesday, July 6. The meeting culminated in the initial approval of the three applications for the proposed Parc Place of Vlasis.
Attorney George Restovich, representing Ballwin resident Brent Evans and Landau Group LLC, gave the opening remarks regarding the project, which will:
- Consolidate three lots at 14811, 14819 and 14821 Manchester Road into a single lot.
- Rezone the resulting lot into commercial property.
- Implement a Manchester Road revitalization overlay district (MRD).
Along with approval on each of those items, the developer sought site plan approval.
“This project takes the three properties that are currently not in use and tackles very difficult topographic hurdles to create an entrance to Vlasis Park; a gateway so to speak that is unique, visually appealing and inviting. It also satisfies the need for more affordable housing of the highest quality,” Restovich said.
According to Gabe McKee, design principal at architecture firm V Three Studios, the proposed five-story building would feature 197 rental units; green rooftops above the parking garage, gym and yoga workout areas; lounges; an event space; an outdoor area suitable for a food truck court; and a retail café on the ground level, the only non-residential segment of the plan.
Commissioner Grant Alexander expressed concern over the residential nature of the development.
“Part of (the MRD), as I understand it, we’re trying to promote this whole mixed-use and economic development piece,” Alexander said. “This is obviously heavily skewed toward multi-family with a very small retail faction. Toward that economic piece, I understand there’s no written requirement, but to see more of that might be quite appealing. When I see multi-use I kind of think of The Brentwood Promenade. I see the first level that’s pedestrian and it’s all walk-up. Then, everything above that floor is multi-family.”
McKee responded that what is being currently considered as a utility section could later be converted to another retail space.
Another major bone of contention was parking. The developer is proposing 237 parking spots for 197 total rental units. P&Z chair Mark Weaver noted that elsewhere in the city, a formula of 1.5 parking spots per dwelling unit is used.
“If they did that, your apartments would have 294 spots,” Weaver said. “That means you’re 57 spots short.”
McKee noted that a 1.2 multiplier was used to determine parking needs, based on current market rates for similar Ballwin developments.
“There was not an actual coded parking requirement for a building of this type, so we looked at what market rate was for the area,” McKee said. “There is the ability to fit more spaces, but as you can see from the site plan, we’re close to maxing out because of some of the amenities, such as a food truck court.”
Weaver was not convinced with that assessment, noting that the proposed number of spaces would be suitable for mostly one-bedroom and some two-bedroom apartments, but that’s not what is proposed for Parc Place of Vlasis.
The breakdown of the proposed development is 22 one-bedroom/one-bath units, 26 two-bedroom/one-bath units, 99 two-bedroom/two-bath units and 22 three-bedroom/two-bath units. McKee deemed the parking sufficient for guests and tenants with up to two vehicles, as well as a modest number of parking spaces for retail locations.
In regard to traffic concerns, Scott Goforth, also with G&W Engineering, made reference to a traffic study by the Lochmueller Group, which looked at Manchester Road as well as access points on Seven Trails Drive and Andrews Parkway. The onsite traffic report was adjusted back to 2016 data to account for the effect of COVID-19.
The report showed the traffic numbers would not appreciably change; however, commissioner Olivia Pieknik mentioned that there were bound to be additional delays and perhaps decent periods of cars blocking traffic at both the nearby QuikTrip and Wendy’s.
“I’ve been in the business for 16 years now and peak hours in the a.m. and p.m. were almost always the same no matter where I went in the city,” Goforth said. “It’s 35-45 minutes, then it winds down after that.”
Other issues addressed included the likelihood of more stop signs surrounding the complex, a potential crosswalk at Andrews Parkway and a potential nearby bus stop for children attending Ballwin Elementary.
If approved by the Ballwin Board of Aldermen, a groundbreaking could take place in the first half of 2022. Construction is expected to take at least six to eight months and the complex should be move-in ready by spring or summer 2023.
