Ellisville Walmart Conditional Use Permit Approved

The Ellisville City Council approved a for a Walmart development on Manchester near the Kiefer Creek intersection.

The second reading for the conditional use ordinance took place at the council meeting Sept. 5 after following the first reading at the August meeting.

Additional traffic studies and safety measures were included in an amended bill that passed by the council 5 to 2, with Mayor Adam Paul and Councilmember Linda Reel the opposed.

Councilmember Dawn Anglin said she received three phone calls in the past week opposed to the Walmart TIF project, but seven combined emails and calls in favor of it in the same time frame.

Paul added the decision was cut and dry for him, considering the "public clearly opposes" the project. Paul initially objected to the second reading of the permit with traffic measure amendments, arguing not enough time was allotted for consideration of the changes according to the Ellisville City Charter.

City Attorney Paul Martin disagreed, adding "the enormity of the ordinance with a minor change in comparison" was still compliable with the charter.

"I'll go to sleep no matter what decision you make," Paul said to the council prior to voting on the permit. "These are big decisions ... they dictate where the city goes as we move forward."

Reel requested more information regarding traffic concerns before the vote, specifically of likely increased traffic and U-turn accommodations. of Crawford Bunte Brammeier assured a before and after study would take place and that measures would be taken to "mitigate (traffic) if it does become a problem."

With council chambers full of residents and business owners continuing and mixed-in support for the Walmart, the first reading on the project's final plat was approved but the second postponed for a special council meeting arranged for Friday at 5:30 p.m.

A preventing redevelopment on the lot adjacent to the Walmart project is also up for second reading at the meeting Friday.

"I feel like more time is needed to digest this," Paul said when asked why he objected to second readings of the legislation.

Martin said he did not view the temporary moratorium as an "emergency" situation and that it could be postponed for a short amount of time.