City Planners Like Delmar Gardens' Concept, But Won't Endorse Ladue Road Project

Developers who hope to build a three phase project on 28 acres at Ladue Road near Interstate 270 have received good reviews from Creve Coeur city planners, but a plan called "Creve Coeur Renaissance" will not have the endorsement of city staff when it gets presented to Planning and Zoning Commissioners at a public hearing Monday.

The proposal calls for rezoning the property to allow for a building for nursing care only, a second building for assisted and independent living, and then 10 single family homes, which would be handled by an outside homebuilder.

The city staff report calls the project "innovative" and says it would solve issues with drainage and erosion, while satisfying a need for senior housing and give "a distressed property with economically viable uses."

Read The Staff Report 

Different Interpretations of The City's Comprehensive Plan

But the city's report on the Delmar Gardens proposal says "it is difficult to fully conclude that there is a compelling reason to approve uses not encouraged by the Comprehensive Plan.  This is a question faced by the City before: Is this a good project in the wrong place?"

City planners call the Comprehensive Plan "a pre-eminent guide" that allows for some consideration.

Delmar Gardens' proposal points out that the Comprehensive Plan, which was developed in 2000, hasn't been reviewed and updated as planned. John King, an attorney representing the project told Patch Wednesday that the Comprehensive Plan should be looked at as "a strong suggestion" and not something set in stone. According to the Delmar Gardens application:

"it would be an understatement to say that the general economic climate, market conditions, and circumstances have changed during the last decade. As such, it is our belief that the Comprehensive Plan’s guidance for this subject tract is no longer viable or appropriate for the site.Specifically, as it relates to the envisioned uses on the subject tract, the current adopted Comprehensive Plan states that,“An aging Creve Coeur population offers a planning challenge. While population is aging nationwide, the trend is particularly pronounced in Creve Coeur. This trend will create housing planning issues in the future. Senior citizens often require or desire housing other than singlefamily homes on large lots. How Creve Coeur faces this challenge will determine whether its residents will be able to remain in the City as they age.”This statement is more real today than when it was adopted by Creve Coeur more than a decade ago."

The city report counters by saying conditions at the site nor priorities in the community have changed since the plan was written.

Monday's Planning and Zoning Commission hearing starts at 7 p.m. City staff is recommending that no action on the proposal be taken until the panel's November 5 meeting.