Vote Kills Moratorium In Ellisville; First Project Approved

A vote that would have enacted a moratorium on development of land next to the proposed Walmart in Ellisville at the corner of Manchester Road and Kiefer Creek Road failed by a single vote earlier this week, setting the stage for development at the city's highest profile intersection.

City officials have said previously that they preferred a comprehensive development plan for the property known as RPA2 as opposed to a piecemeal approach, but once again heard from representatives from McDonalds Wednesday, who were eager to move forward with plans to sell and develop the fast food restaurant's former site across the street from the chain's current home.

A deal to build a 3500 square feet AT&T store on that property has been held up in recent weeks as discussions of a moratorium worked through Planning and Zoning and the City Council.

Wednesday's vote was split 3-3. There was brief debate over whether the bill died on the table or if it was eligible for a second reading. City Manager Kevin Bookout and City Planner Ada Hood said in the past a tie vote had not prevented a second reading. Mayor Adam Paul ruled the bill dead.

Paul opposed the moratorium, saying that such a move picks winners and losers in development and would have kept AT&T from building despite a plan that would conform to city code. He added that any plans for a Town Center in the area could evolve over time and incorporate what was already there.

After the vote, the council reconvened as Ellisville's Architectural Review Board to consider design elements for the AT&T project. "This is our number one prime spot in Ellisville," Councilwoman Cindy Pool said. "If we don't do it right now, it's going to be hard to go back and attach it to what's going around," she added as the board went back and forth with city staff and a representative for the project before agreeing to a compromise that would include brick building elements along with a tree-lawn sidewalk and decorative lighting.

The project could face another hurdle outside of the control of a developer or the city. According to Hood, the Missouri Department of Transportation will close a temporary curb cut on Manchester Road that would have been a key access point for entering the AT&T site. There was some question if the store could move forward if that was the case. A MoDOT spokesperson could not be reached on the subject Thursday.