No Leash Needed is deemed right fit for long-vacant Ellisville location

Just as a certain dog may be a perfect match for its master, a specific commercial location could be likewise for a certain business. That’s pretty much why No Leash Needed will soon move into its new location at 15599 Manchester Road.

At the March 16 Ellisville City Council meeting, National Veterinary Associates, Inc. (NVA) was unanimously granted a conditional use permit for No Leash Needed. The business will operate a combination pet day care, pet training and boarding kennel facility. Unlike other No Leash Needed locations, the Ellisville one will not be providing veterinary care.

The site was not an easy one to fill as Bill Barnes, commercial real estate broker with NAI DESCO, explained.

“I was hired by the property owner, Mr. Denny Boyd (of the Bedroom Store), to list the property for lease,” Barnes said, noting that he listed the property in April 2019 and it was previously listed by another company. The property is just under 12,000 square feet. 

“It’s well located but it’s been challenging to find a tenant,” Barnes said. “A couple reasons why: Once you get above 4,000 to 6000 square feet, your prospect list goes down quite a bit. Second, the property is not anchored by a traffic generator such as a grocery store, a Costco or Walmart. I’ve been a retail broker for 16 years and when we cold called trying to find retailers to locate at the property, they were very interested in the location and being in Ellisville, but they really want to be in an anchored center. So, we’ve had none that really fit the bill.”

The future site of No Leash Needed in Ellisville (Source: Loopnet.com)

Now, however, NVA is going to invest between $1.6 and $1.7 million in the Ellisville building.

“One thing about NVA that a lot of people don’t know is they’re probably one of the largest veterinary clinics that practices in the country,” Barnes said. “They’re a really established company with the resources to run a really solid business.”    

Answering questions from council member Vince McGrath (District 1), Shad Cloud, of NVA, said the site will furnish up to 66 boarding kennels. There will be anywhere from 60 to 120 dogs on the site for day care. An existing wooden fence will be replaced by a new one and trees in the area will remain as a buffer and extra sound barrier for neighbors to the north in compliance with recommendations of the landscaping plan. Those sound barriers will be for times a handful of dogs are outside.

“The dogs will not be able to go in and out by themselves,” Cloud said. “That would be controlled by the staff. There’s one or two staff members with the dogs at all times.” 

Small groups of dogs are normally rotated in and out and divided by breed size. The facility will have several indoor yards, which helps to manage outdoor yard use.

The last staff person leaves around 10:30 or 11 p.m. and the earliest returns around 6 a.m., Cloud said. However, the dogs are typically inside so any sound would be muted in the case that one or several are howling. Open hours are 7 a.m.-7 p.m. so the last time you’ll see a dog outside would be between 7:30 and 8 p.m.; anything that happens after that would be in one of the indoor yards.

Cloud also noted that both animals and humans are evaluated and well trained. 

“We focus a lot of energy of on the evaluation of dogs to make sure we’re bringing in ones that work well with the population we have,” he said. “We have dogs coming in that can be controlled and can be in that environment. But we also do a lot of training with our staff, and we focus our energy on dog control. So, you don’t hear the amount of barking as you do at a franchise type location or a dog resort because staff members are always there and they’re well trained to control dogs. We want to be friendly and courteous neighbors to everyone.”

Bill 3740 passed unanimously to become Ordinance 3509 after an amendment from council member Dan Duffy (District 3) to amend the petition such that dog waste runoff be handled by best practices as defined by City Administrator Bill Schwer. Solid waste will be collected at all times and disposed of at the end of every day.

XGolf is on the approach for a new location in Ellisville

 XGolf Indoor Golf Simulator may be on par to tee off in Ellisville by Labor Day weekend. 

A conditional use permit (CUP) granted by the Ellisville City Council on March 16 would allow XGolf to operate a retail entertainment establishment complete with liquor and food sales at 15382 Manchester Road.

Owner Drew Weckbach described XGolf as an “up-and-coming franchise model that specializes in the indoor golf simulator business.” He added that most of the company’s roughly 50 locations are in northern U.S. cities, but the concept has gradually migrated to the Midwest. He said he hopes to approach 100 sites nationwide by the end of 2022. That includes a projected early September timeline for Ellisville so that people can enjoy indoor golf during the ensuing cooler weather months.

Inside an XGolf Indoor Golf Simulator (Source: XGolf)

“It’s a little bit of a different model from the traditional golf simulator model you’ve seen,” Weckbach said. “This is on the high-end, (an) exclusive version that operates with cameras and spin rates instead of what you may be aware of on your phone or a trackman that uses GPS, or an outdoor simulator, or if you’re just hitting into a mattress in your garage.”

In response to a question from Mayor Mike Roemerman, Weckbach said the Ellisville XGolf location would feature a high-end combination of bottled beer and other bar beverages. The food choices offered would be simple, traditional St. Louis-style items like toasted ravioli and mozzarella cheese sticks hot out of a convection oven. The retail store will offer golf-related ƒitems, including some basic Callaway items. That said, Weckbach said his stores currently receive just 2% to 7% of their revenue from merchandising.

Weckbach was far more interested in talking about the shared experiences that can be had by his customers.

“There are three main ways people will be able to use the simulators,” he said. “It could be a traditional Saturday morning where you grab a couple of your buddies and play a round of golf. We (also) will have league nights perhaps on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights for couples, or competitive (leagues for) males or females, or recreation (leagues for) males. And then we will have lessons. The fourth one is developing and one of the keys to the franchise in the model – national tournaments. 

“Something you can’t really do right now is have 5,000 people on the same course with the same conditions, same grass height at the same time on a Saturday and see who the real best golfer in America is, holding everything constant.”

Weckbach said the XGolf concept also works well for corporate parties. 

“If you guys have ever done a golf scramble, you see the same three people for three hours. On an indoor golf scramble for a charity event you can bop around and see all the people throughout the Saturday.  You’re not just relegated to the three people in your party.”

The city’s public hearing on the CUP uncovered a good amount of Weckbach’s contentions regarding some of the cross accesses with XGolf, the city and other landlords on the lot, and also sidewalk width details which were impossible to achieve due to electric poles being right there on the edge of sidewalk parts. Weckbach also was against proposed bike racks at the site, which he said would get in the way of golfers dropping off heavy bags of golf clubs curbside prior to finding parking spaces.

However, those items ultimately were amended or waived and the CUP passed unanimously.

“I’m very impressed with your presentation,” Roemerman told Weckbach. “I’m very excited with what you’re doing, and I can’t wait to play golf in the winter and maybe once in a while in the summer, too, indoors.”

APB is out for five kidnapped lighted deer

 (A serious article for West Newsmagazine, but fun nonetheless)

     Earlier this week, Ballwin resident Sue Magee put out a missing lighted deer report on NextDoor.com, the self-proclaimed ‘social networking service for neighborhoods.’

     The crux of Magee’s theft report from the Common Ground for Park Huntington, on Country Club by Briarwyck reads as follows: ‘I don’t know who took them, but they were NOT looking for a new home!  They have been quite content since the 1990s to live at our house!  We miss the joy they bring to the neighborhood and us!  If you know who took them, please ask them to return them.  No questions asked!  We miss them!’

     Magee said that there was a herd of 12 deer from which five were recently kidnapped. She began her collection with some little ones that her kids gave her for Christmas some 30 years ago. But to her, the lighted, wired deer are more for all neighbors and passersby to enjoy.

     According to Magee, these items are normally sold in season at both Lowe’s and Home Depot for roughly $35-$50 apiece. She is grateful that the very expensive 40-foot and 60-foot extension cords were left intact.

     “Still, the deer are an investment,” she said. “It takes forever to restring them every year for the lights that are out on them! Also, everybody who goes to and from Claymont School sees them. It’s right when you pull into the subdivision. Two or three of the LED ones that were taken are animated ones.  They’re for the neighborhood to make somebody’s evening a little brighter.   I leave these up through January, and I was going to leave them up through February this year.  It’s just a winter scene.  It doesn’t have to be for Christmas.  Plus, they’re peaceful.”   

     Magee has also made sure to change the position of the deer so every neighbor can see them through their kitchen window or from some other vantage point in their house.

     One thing that really irks her is that she had one set up right by her playhouse.  It was for a grandchild with Cerebral Palsy who has no way to climb towers or perform other playground functions most children can.

     “Several people have offered to replace them for me, but I don’t want them to do that,” Magee said.  “I have another neighbor who said they used to have a herd of eight or 10, and they offered to add to the herd for next winter. That’s very sweet of them and I may take them up on that.”

     Meanwhile, Ballwin Police Chief Doug Schaeffler said that although Magee didn’t file an actual police report, he will make sure to have someone keep an eye out on the place so more deer don’t fall prey in the near future.

Scooter’s Coffee is Set to Glide into Ellisville Location

 (Here are two restaurant pieces I did a week ago for West Newsmagazine.)

How can one deny the request for an establishment that sports the slogan "Amazing People, Amazing Drinks … Amazingly Fast?" Ultimately, the city of Ellisville did not.

At its Dec. 15 meeting, the City Council gave the green light for a conditional use permit granted to Scooter’s Coffee for a drive-thru facility adjoining a kiosk in a Commercial Zoning District at 16006 Manchester Road.

Some follow up questions and comments regarding that bill (No. 3732) was preceded by a rather lengthy public hearing. It began with City Attorney George Restovich rattling off a list of 16 exhibits in the petition. Next, Wilson Waggoner, a civil engineer working on Scooter’s plans spoke and fielded questions.

“It’s very similar to a Starbucks,” Waggoner said. “This particular location will be drive-thru only with no indoor or outdoor seating. It was preferred by the franchisee that there would be no walk-up business.”

Waggoner mentioned that Scooter’s primarily serves hot and cold drinks and breakfast sandwiches to some 400 locations in the U.S. in 33 states. Those locations include ones in St. Charles County (O’Fallon and Dardenne Prairie, which opened last month).

(Source: Scooter's Coffee/Facebook)

The building will be just 654 square feet. Waggoner showed slides for the projected site plan and also possible signs for all sides of the building plus a 12-foot-high "monument sign." The city code only allows for ones 10-foot-high. The idea of cross-access to Valvoline and Economy Car Care Center was also discussed.

“This is a really small lot, so I appreciate you have some really tough spots to work with,” council member Rob Compton (District 1) said. “As far as cross-access is concerned, we’re not looking for that to be applied immediately, but down the road. So, I don’t think removing that requirement is beneficial to us even if it’s not being used at this time.

“Also, we’re looking at an awful lot of signage on a tiny little building here. And on the sides of that building, you’re not sitting up very high. So, I don’t think those signs will even be seen, and one isn’t necessary in the back, either.”

City Planner Ada Hood reminded Compton that both the signage and cross-access would be discussed at an ensuing Architectural Review Board meeting. But both Compton and council member Mick Cahill (District 2) thought the cross-access issue should be settled prior to that meeting. Citizen Marilyn Niebling reiterated the immediate need for cross-access with regard to potential increased traffic issues on Manchester Road.

Per council member Vince McGrath’s (District 1) inquiry, Waggoner said the developer would have to revise its lighting plans to comply with the city’s specs. He also mentioned that there would be just one 6-foot high, wooden, dog-eared fence in the back of the property. Regarding employees, there would be three per shift and the hours of operation would likely be 5 a.m.-8 p.m.

With the assistance of council member Dan Duffy’s (District 3), Mayor Mike Roemerman added an amendment that would connect easements from the west to the east.

Cahill added a second amendment that there would be no sign on the back of the property that would be too visible to the people in the apartments directly behind it. That also passed as did the overall bill, which became Ordinance 21-3501.

“I’m happy and I believe the council is happy to see this come here to Ellisville. I think it’s a great plan. I like having a Starbuck’s alternative; hopefully, a little more economical. But I like the breakfast sandwich option, I like the look and I’m really not going to miss the current structure that’s on that property. I’m sure the staff at city hall will be coming by to get some coffee. It might be an upgrade from what they have at city hall,” Roemerman said. 

Ellisville grants Chick-fil-A extended hours for canopy work

On Feb. 9, it will be five full years since the grand opening of the Ellisville Chick-fil-A. And at the Dec. 15 Ellisville City Council meeting, nothing but upbeat comments were uttered by both its operator Tony Johnson and city council members.

Johnson appeared at the meeting by Zoom to petition for extended work hours in association with the construction of new canopies for the restaurant and its drive-thru at 304 Clarkson Road. The property is within a C-3  Commercial Zoning District. 

“What we’re looking to do is complete some of this construction with the heavy lifting, of which some has already been done, on the last two Sundays,” Johnson said. “There’s a group that comes from out of state to do the final completion of the canopies. We looked at it kind of six ways from Sunday. We’ve looked at shutting down the drive-thru altogether and trying to run it through the parking lot. All those have some issues like traffic backing up onto the road which would be disrupting our neighbors.” 

 Chick-fil-A Ellisville in snow in 2017 (Source: Chick-fil-A Ellisville/Facebook)

Mayor Mike Roemerman expressed concern about the possible decibel level associated with the project, especially since some of the work is slated to be done late at night.

Council member Rob Compton (District 1) had the same concerns. He questioned how that might work for a neighbor who had to be up early for work the next morning.

“If there is a complaint, is there a certain sound level that we can’t exceed?” Compton asked. 

City Manager Bill Schwer noted that there is an ordinance for acceptable sound levels.

“My understanding is that most of the concrete work … the bigger pieces with the concrete … have been done on the previous two Sundays during the daytime,” Johnson said. “What this group would actually be doing is the columns that go down with the flat roof. Most of that work will just be them putting the columns together and running the electrical, plumbing and wiring.  So, I think the only tools out there at night will be two lifts and a palette piece to help them move the steel.”

In response to a comment by council member Vince McGrath (District 1), Johnson said Sunday hours and extended daytime hours works best for the restaurant's business and also keeps from impeding on open hours of fellow businesses and creating traffic nuisances on Clarkson Road.

“I think you guys do a great job,” council member Dan Duffy (District 3) said. “My entire extended family is very happy with your restaurant and I’m in favor of anything that makes it easier to get in and out of there.”

The petition passed unanimously, and just as he had been at the start of his presentation, Johnson was both genuinely gracious and grateful for his opportunity to address the council.

“Thank you all for your time again, and also for a lot of the pre-COVID work that allowed us to stay in business; especially when we were kind of shut outside,” he said. “You let us put up temporary structures, and I can’t tell you how great that was, and I really appreciate you.  I think the support we felt from a business perspective and the flexibility you all shared with us, including not to have to close down for even one day, was awesome. It’s great to be part of the community!”

Public hearing on rail and truck facility draws ire from Chesterfield residents

 (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.

(Source: Google Maps)

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.

Boardwalk Pizza is granted adjacent microbrewery

(Ran Nov. 19 in West Newsmagazine)

Famed author and humor columnist Dave Barry once wrote, “Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.” 

That pretty much matches the sentiment of Boardwalk Pizza owner Virgil Avanzado and his brew master Jake Mantz.

Through a Planning & Zoning Commission recommendation, followed by a Nov. 17 public hearing, the city of Ellisville council members voted unanimously to grant a liquor license and permission to open a microbrewery next to the restaurant at 15636 Manchester Road.

                                      Facebook image

City Attorney George Restovich rattled off 19 different exhibits regarding the paperwork involved, starting with a certified copy of the municipal code and ending with the city planner’s memo, dated Nov. 11, 2021. In between were several items offered by those submitting the petition for changes and additions.

“I’m the architect working with Virgil on the renovation of his pizzeria, and expansion into the neighboring facility which will house a microbrewery, tasting room, additional restroom, some additional seating and a storage area,” Mantz said. “The renovation includes an upgrade to the existing Boardwalk Pizza and some interior upgrades for the customer seating area. It will continue to operate as it currently does, but with these additions we will be expanding into the vacant tenant space next door. I never heard so many exhibits, but this was just a very basic summary of all those exhibits Mr. Restovich mentioned.”

In response to Mayor Mike Roemerman’s questions, the brewing will be handled on site with Mantz utilizing his own recipes. He currently has design space for up to eight taps.  

Council member Vince McGrath (District 1) inquired as to how this microbrewery would differ from most others.

Mantz answered that it’s going to be different from your normal, stand-alone microbrewery. They will not necessarily be catering to the regular beer enthusiasts, but are gearing toward beers that can easily be paired to the food Avanzado’s been serving. There will be light ales, lagers and maybe a couple darker nut-brown porters.

He added that they’ll have growlers that customers can buy, take home, and return them for refills at a reduced price. Mantz also mentioned having ‘crowlers,’ which he described as purchases in cans that are considered single serving sizes.

“I’ve done a little bit of research, and we’ll possibly be the smallest brewery in the United States,” Mantz said. “So, it will be very small and very specific.”   

McGrath also asked if sales would cover their rent. Mantz said that they crushed the numbers. Based on the cost of brewery equipment, supplies, cleaning, the modest expansion (about 150 square feet for this segment) and great margins for beers brewed on the premise, they will do just fine.  He added that they would be eliminating the middleman unlike bars that purchase beers from a distributor.

Looking at the pizzeria at 15638 Manchester, the microbrewery will be on the left side. Outside dining tables will be added inside the current walkway.   

Speaking to Virgil, council member Mick Cahill (District 2) said, “Seeing you start the place up, and appreciate that you’re trying to grow it, I know you’ve done a great job. It’s a vacant spot next to you.  So, you’ll be filling that spot and bringing some revenue into our city.”

Cahill subsequently made an amendment regarding expanding the areas in front of both addresses for the potential of covered outside seating for that entire area.

1938 newspaper shines among Ballwin Historical Commission donations

 On Nov. 9, current Planning & Zoning Commission member Gary Carr (Ward 1) carried several items into the Old Ballwin School House. He was there to donate pieces of Ballwin’s history. 

“Some of the stuff I’m donating today is from Ballwin Days. But the one that really struck me was the 1938 newspaper from the Community Press when they dedicated the brick building,” Carr said, referring to the school house. “My wife (Janet) had an anniversary party here for the building’s 50th year, back in 1988. We had the same chicken dinner that they had when they built the place. My wife’s uncle, Walter Bush, built that building.”

The paper, which Carr recently enclosed in a shadow box, features a large boxed section and the words “School Dedication Program.”  Just underneath that title are program details, including American flag ceremonies and addresses to be given by educational dignitaries. Near the bottom of the blurb, it mentions live performances of “Old Folks at Home,” “Heigh Ho” and “That Old Apple Tree” by the Ballwin Banjo Class. Underneath that was a note about the chicken supper Carr mentioned.

Gary Carr  and Ballwin Historical Commission Chairman Marie Clark (Source: City of Ballwin/Facebook)

“We’re thinking about moving in a couple years, but we want to stay in Ballwin,” Carr said.  “I’m just going through stuff the family has accumulated over the years, and we’re just trying to move stuff out. I didn’t want to throw any of this away, so I asked (the Historical Commission) if they wanted it. We were going to do this in the past. The plaque says 7/2019, but due to COVID, it was put off.”

According to the Historical Commission’s Facebook page: “The Old Ballwin Schoolhouse ended its role as a schoolhouse after the 1938 school year. It was then sold, ultimately becoming a private residence. For the next 50 years, it continued to be located at its original location: 110 Elm Street.  In 2001, it was moved to make way for the construction of the Old Towne Plaza.”

Carr said it took four years to complete Towne Plaza. 

“The reason it took so long,” he said, “(is) if you look at all these rocks back here, it was 70 feet down so they had to bring the grade up for the shopping center. They brought these rocks down here on 18-wheelers.  They had to have engineers here to tell them where to place them.”

One of the items donated by Carr was a Ballwin Days poster dated June 27, 28  and 29. While no one on the commission was certain which year the poster represented, it did mention that the carnival rides were by Tinsley’s Amusements, Inc, which began operation  in 1964.

In speaking with the Historical Commission, Carr mentioned one more item in his donations. 

Vintage Ballwin Days poster (Photo: Jeffry Greenberg)

“I was the treasurer at The Pointe, and this has all the paperwork of who donated money for the bond issue, built in 1995-96.”

Carr noted that his wife was responsible for acquiring some of the donated  items since her family has been in the area much longer than his own. Her great, great grandfather started (JJ) Kokesh (and Sons) Plumbing (currently at 408 Kehrs Mill Road) back in 1894. The fourth generation is running it now, and it’s believed to be the oldest continuous plumbing company in St. Louis County.

After being a plumber himself for 42 years, Carr retired in 2015. He’s been volunteering and working at the Christian Brothers home (La Salle Retreat Center)  in Wildwood, which has been there since 1886. However, he is most proud and moved by a far more recent historic event.

“I had the honor to work with the Gary Sinise Foundation at Officer (Mike) Flamion’s house as a volunteer,” Carr said.  Flamion, a former Ballwin Police officer,  was ambushed, shot in the back and paralyzed on July 8, 2016.

 “It was amazing to me the amount of people who stepped up to the plate and donated time or material. This went on and on and on,” he said.