1991-01-23 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Plan Commission M~tes January 23, 1991 Page 7 . with the requirements of the University City Sign Code. The motion was seconded by Mr. Marsh and passed by a vote of 7-0. REQUEST TO REZONE A 4.6 ACRE PARCEL OF THE FORMER MERCY HIGH SCHOOL SITE FROM "PR-O" to "GC" Mr. Gary Feder of the law firm Ziercher & Hocker, P.C., presented a request by the Sandlian Investment Co. to rezone a portion of the former Mercy High School property at Olive Boulevard and Pennsylvania Avenue from "PR-O" Planned Residential-Office District to "GC" - General Commercial District. The rezoning was requested for the purpose of constructing a self-storage facility on the site. Mr. Feder stated that the applicant's plans had changed since the original application and supporting documents had been submitted. The portion of the site which Sandlian Investment now had under contract to purchase from the owner of the entire parcel, Evergreen Developments, Inc. no longer involved a 4.6 acre tract (Lot 2 of a proposed 3 lot subdivision), but rather a 4.4 acre site on the eastern half of the site. Despite the Planning staff's concerns expressed in the staff report, Mr. Feder stated that, in the applicant's view, the proposed storage use of the site would fall within that list of uses envisioned by the Olive Boulevard East Tax Increment Financing District Plan. The Plan calls out industrial use as a possible use of the site. Sandlian Investment, which owns and operates several similar facilities throughout the midwest, has completed an extensive marketing study which details a need for self-storage service facilities in the st. Louis metropolitan area. Mr. Feder characterized the self-storage use as a positive and significant use. Mr. Feder also presented letters of recommendation from neighbors of other Sandlian proj ects in the Indianapolis area. Mr. Feder introduced Lance Sandlian and Dan Murr of Sandlian Investment. Mr. Sandlian detailed for Commission members the proposed site plan for the facility including the setbacks for the buildings, fencing and landscaping. He stated that Sandlian Investment intends to both own and operate this facility as it does all its storage developments. The appearance of the brick buildings with hip or gable roofs is intended to blend in with the residential character of the city. Mr. SandI ian also detailed operation of the site, including the on-site manager, security system, lighting and operating policies. Mr. Murr and Mr. Sandlian discussed with Commission members the low amount of traffic (40-50 cars a day additional traffic) the project would generate. They also detailed that approximately 80% of the prospective customers would come from a 2 1/2 mile radius of the project. Mr. Goldman detailed the reservations Planning Department staff had regarding the application. First, the 1986 Comprehensive Plan for the City of University City states that while the vacant portion of the Mercy High School site is suitable for all general commercial