CVS Pharmacy Site Plan Approval Delayed at Planning and Zoning Meeting

The final meeting of 2011 for the St. Peters Planning and Zoning Commission was short on agenda items, but long on discussion. 

For nearly three hours the Commission tackled topics for the last time in 2011. The Commission resolved several issues, but one big one issue will have to be figured out in 2012. 

CVS Pharmacy unveiled its site plans for a proposed location at the Golden Triangle Shopping Centre location near the intersection of Mid Rivers Mall Drive and Mexico. While the Commission expressed the usual concern—more brick—another issue sprouted up led by Alderman Jerry Hollingsworth. 

Hollingsworth was troubled by a proposed exit at the north end of the site plan. Instead of a right in, right out, the plans called for a full use exit. Hollingworth said that during rush hour traffic, it would be near impossible for a driver to make a left turn onto southbound Mid Rivers Mall Drive. 

CVS said it hadn't done a traffic study on the site. City staff said it had consulted with police and the area—which already allows left turns at the current shopping center—is actually a low incident area. 

Despite the assertions, the Commission was unsure how big of a problem it the left turn could become. Chairman Keith McNames said, in his mind, peak hours for the pharmacy would be drivers heading south on Mid Rivers Mall Drive coming home after work. He said he feared they would get stuck in traffic twice—getting in and getting out. 

McNames said the Walgreens at Jungermann and Willott Roads is a traffic issue, one that the Commission failed to address when it had the chance. McNames said, given the opportunity, he would like to tackle the issue now.

A motion was made to make the entrance a right in, right out, but CVS stepped in before it could pass. CVS said it would conduct a traffic study and come back in January to address the issue again. The Commission agreed. 

Road Name Change Approved, But Not As Originally Planned

Drivers exiting off Interstate 370 at the Cave Springs/Truman Road exit are bombarded by road changes. Heading north, the road becomes Lakeside Park Drive. To the south, however, the road changes from Cave Springs Road to Truman Road. A proposal was made to get a portion of the Cave Springs Road changed to Lakeside Park Drive, meaning a short stretch would have three names. 

Central County Fire and Rescue Assistant Fire Chief Steve Brown said the CCFR opposed the name change. He said his department wants less confusing road names and doesn't want the same stretch to have so many different names. 

Brown said he, and the CCFR, would rather just change the whole stretch to Truman Road. 

The Commission agreed. A motion was made that section north of 370 would remain Lakeside Park Drive while the area south would become Truman Road. 

Other News

• K&M Lawncare & Landscaping had its home occupation permit revoked. K&M had failed to report to multiple meetings. City staff said the issue was with a work truck parking in an area that was permitted in the permit, much to the chagrin of neighbors. 
• Truck Centers, Inc., after , finally withdrew it's two public hearing requests. 
• CarMax had a site plan and a special use permit approved. 
• Daniel and Judith Fetsch were denied a permit to allow tents on a proposed fair ground site. 
• Fifth Third Bank renewed it's site plan. The bank has yet to break ground and needed to renew the plan before it expired on Jan. 5, 2012.