South County Not Alone in Protesting Senior Living Construction

The Town and Country and Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously turned down a proposal by Allegro Senior Living to build a 150-unit, luxury senior living development Wednesday night after hearing from dozens of residents who were vehemently opposed to the project.

The commission will make its recommendation to the Board of Alderman, citing seven reasons it opposed the proposal. Among these, the commission said there was "no public need" and that neighbors’ property values would be damaged.

Nearly 200 people came to City Hall for the commission’s meeting and most of those who spoke indicated that they didn’t want the project proposed for about 12 acres east of Mason Woods Village, at Clayton and Mason roads, to go forward.

"I haven’t heard any citizen yet speaking in favor of this," Bernard Zyk said. "The citizens have their imaginary pitchforks out."

( Love Investment Co.) and Allegro Senior Living were seeking a rezoning and approval of a preliminary site development plan for complex.

Residents expressed concerns about traffic, noise, effects on property values, and safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. Many also said they wanted to preserve 1-acre residential zoning.
Several opposed a proposed special sales tax for a Community Improvement District to help the developer defray costs.

Residents were elated at the commission’s decision.

More at:

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/town-and-country-planning-board-rejects-senior-complex/article_935d3baf-1810-5541-addd-9a738ab683a9.html

Oakville Residents Oppose Senior Living Complex

Michelle Norris, a senior vice president for National Church Residences, address the St. Louis County Planning Commission during a meeting regarding the construction of a senior housing complex by the developer on Monday, July 15, 2013, at the County Council chamber in Clayton.

For the second time in five weeks, the residents of the Oakville area descended Monday on the St. Louis County Building to register disapproval over a low-income senior citizen housing complex — a project already under construction.

Characterizing the project as “one of the greatest failures in St. Louis County government history,” Oakville businessman Mark Haefner captured the prevailing sentiment about a proposal that sailed through the planning process unnoticed and unopposed barely a year ago.

The County Planning Commission, which reopened the issue at the behest of the County Council, is expected to act on the measure next month.

County Executive Charlie Dooley warned last month that the county will incur severe legal penalties if it halts work on a project that began construction in the spring at 6050 Telegraph Road.
Clayton attorney John King, representing the developer and operator of the 45-unit complex, National Church Residences, said that in the 40-plus years he’s handled zoning cases, he could not recall another instance of the county rescinding approval for an active project.

Michelle Norris, a senior vice president for National Church Residences, attempted to assure the audience that the organization was bound by the rules to serve — as it does at other locations around the nation — a population where the average resident is a 78-year-old woman.

“We are restricted to senior housing only,” Norris said. “We will receive a lot of penalties if we don’t follow the rules.”

Norris’ assurances did nothing to placate a crowd of 235 that packed the council auditorium. An additional 75 opponents milled outside the room, prevented from entering by the occupancy code.
Lynn Link was the first to raise a dominant objection: The complex’s proximity to the pre-kindergarten Goddard School, located on adjoining property.

Goddard parents, Link said, have “justifiable concerns” about the National Church Residences’ facility placing a Dumpster containing “soiled adult undergarments and used syringes” 5 feet from the school boundary.

Read the rest of the story at:  http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/oakville-residents-renew-opposition-to-senior-living-complex/article_c1dc92d6-9aaf-5e1b-b1fb-87170e74cde4.html

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