MINUTES
Planning
and Zoning Commission
April
29, 2009
The Clarkson Valley Planning and Zoning Commission, pursuant to notices
published in the West Newsmagazine on Wednesday, April 8th and the Clarkson
Valley website since March 24th and letters mailed to residents living within
500' of the proposal on Friday, April 10th, met at City Hall on Wednesday, April
29, 2009 in the Fru-Con Center's third floor Presentation Room at 15933 Clayton
Road to consider the proposals brought forth by John King, representing St.
John’s Medical Office Building and to make a recommendation to the Board of
Aldermen.
Planning and Zoning Commission Members present were:
Susan Shea, Chairman, Alderperson, Ward 1
Artie Ahrens
Gregg Bogosian
John Cloute
Anne Grabner
Frank W. Hodgdon III, Commissioner and newly appointed Commission Member, Jerry Litschgi were present to observe.
Commission
Members Jack Hauser, Lin Midyett and Paul Mercurio were not able to attend.
The City Attorney, Patrick Butler and City Clerk, Michele McMahon, also attended.
After the meeting was called to order, the Chairman asked the City Clerk
to read the Notice of Public Hearing for the agenda item being considered: To
consider a request from St. John’s Mercy Health Care for approval of
preliminary site development plans, to consider their proposal for consolidation
of Lots 2A and 2B to one (1) lot to locate a medical office building, to change
language to the PC Code allowing outpatient surgery with no stay longer than 23
hours, and to re-position the Clayton Road driveway farther west, all at the
properties known as 15945 Clayton Road and 15959 Clayton Road and to make a
recommendation to the Board of Aldermen.
Mr.
John King, the attorney representing this proposal introduced himself and the
remaining presenters were introduced. Dan
Kalicak, Vice-President of Business Development and Strategic Planning, St.
John’s Mercy and Terry Flynn from the same department; Trish Geldbach,
Vice-President of Operations, St. John’s Mercy; Marlys E. Schuh, M.D. Founding
Physician of the St. Louis Cancer and Breast Institute (a group of eight with
the primary building on Ballas Road); Wayne Williams, Vice-President of Real
Estate and Terry Bader, Senior Vice-President Navvis Development; Greg Garner,
Principal of Archimages; Paul Boyer, P.E., Principal of CEDC Civil Engineering
Design Consultants; Brian Schmidt, P.E. Assistant Transportation/Civil Project
Engineer of Horner & Shifrin, Inc. Engineers; Randy Mardis, Landscape
Technologies; Neal Bauer, who was unable to attend, was mentioned as being the
construction project manager from McCarthy Construction.
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John King spoke of the three requests and gave the history of the
original lot belonging to Fru-Con. It
was split into two in 2004 because at the time, St. John’s intended to
construct two buildings. He then
spoke about the request for a code change to allow visits no longer than 23
hours. He mentioned the state law
that prohibits visits longer than 24 hours unless you are a fully licensed
hospital. The nature of the
hospital’s use was then discussed. Mr.
King said they plan to use the building for the treatment of cancer, mostly of
women, with medical and surgical oncology as well as radiation.
They plan to have a number of internal, primary care and family-practice
physicians.
The architect, Greg Garner spoke along with the civil engineer for the
job, Paul Boyer about the site and building.
First the site: He explained
the necessity of relocating the main entry drive farther west on the 10.6-acre
parcel and said they are working with the county highway department to make a
much safer ingress/egress as well as achieving a better circulation pattern to
the entrances and parking areas. They
explained that Mr. Schmidt performed extensive due diligence with regard to the
traffic study and stated they received MoDOT’s conceptual approval.
They are working with Fru-Con and MSD on the detention basin and
explained that history, saying that Fru-Con engineered and built the existing
basin. MSD has since become more
restrictive about holding more water during periods of heavy rain and meting it
out at a much slower rate than its current configuration.
The parking lot areas will contain drain inlets that will be placed
liberally on the parking lot, hydraulically pumped to the basin to address
requirements for a 100-year flood. MSD
has approved the overall design.
Landscaping was then discussed with mention of green spaces and walking
paths. The off-loading of materials
delivered by smaller trucks will be taken to a loading pad opposed to
over-the-road trucks going to a large loading dock.
The newly submitted handout entitled Site Section Diagram was discussed. At first glance, the diagram appears to show a huge retaining wall. Upon closer examination, it is a cut view with a 5’ tall person standing across Clayton Road looking toward the office building. Several members of the board requested this in order to determine the impact of the retaining walls running parallel with Clayton Road. The wall will not be visible although approximately 2’ of the 1-1/2” diameter steel pipe (painted a bronze color) guardrail (handrail) will be visible. From that location, one would be able to see approximately 2-1/2 of the three stories and the awning (porte-cochere). They intend to build a sidewalk along Clayton Road and landscape the area in between.
Discussion came back to the basin area when knowledge was made the landscape architect is turning the basin area into a wetlands. There was a newly submitted handout showing the material to be used along with the fencing. Chairman Shea asked who would maintain the wetlands, to which it was noted St. John’s would in a joint effort with Fru-Con, as they both are responsible. Paul Boyer explained the requirement MSD has regarding the Clean Water Act and the mandate for the wetlands.
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The building’s first floor will contain 52,000 sq. ft. of space with four entrances. Regardless of where people park, they can gravitate easily to the elevator. The second floor has 40,000 sq. ft. and the third floor has 33,000, for a total of 125,000 sq. ft. It was asked if they knew the Fru-Con building’s footage, to which Greg stated a little under 42,000 per floor for a total of approximately the same square footage.
The floor was opened to questions. Some that were asked regarded sign plans (to be submitted at a later date for a special use permit); further explanation of the 24-hour stay (the clients of this building are considered outpatient); will the building be staffed 24-hours round-the-clock (yes, although there will be standard hours for medical uses, generally 7 a.m. until 6 p.m.); lighting (blending with Fru-Con’s parking lot – 2’ candles, standard shoebox shading, dusk-to-dawn); sidewalk along Clayton (yes, more than 5’ from the retaining wall); square footage of pharmacy (600); rehab gym (no); soiled laundry and bedding (trucked off site); bio-hazardous material (red bags picked up and removed from site); incinerator (no); gas used for sterilizing (no); what is a hot lab (single node biopsy to identify where the cancer is in the breast); radiation (most done with a linear accelerator opposed to isotopes; number of anticipated employees (best guess – 175); explanation of “simple café” (small food service of sandwiches and soft drinks for patients, visitors and employees similar to that of St. Louis Bread Co. but not cooked on premises); handicapped parking spaces (plan shows technical compliance with ordinance but upon suggestion, St. Johns agreed to double the number shown on site plan); proof that taxes are current and paid (St. John’s agreed); proof of highway department approval for signal (they are in detailed conversation with St. Louis County Highway and the county agrees this is designated as an entrance and it will be signalized); 6’ tall black vinyl chain link fence (chosen to be less intrusive and more protective).
Mr. Jerry Roberts of Midwest Music was present and stated that after speaking with the architect; he had no problems with them repositioning the driveway farther west. It was mentioned the Dierberg’s Store Manager, Jerry Ebest stated he had no reason to oppose the project, either (confirmed by Chairman Shea).
A vote was taken to recommend to the Board of Aldermen its approval to
consolidate lots 2A and 2B into one lot. Yeas:
Ahrens, Bogosian, Cloute, Grabner and Shea.
A vote was taken to recommend to the Board of Aldermen that they amend
Section 405.095.B.2.b.5 of the PC Code to allow outpatient surgery with no stay
longer than twenty-three (23) hours. Yeas:
Ahrens, Bogosian, Cloute, Grabner and Shea.
The recommendation to the Board of Aldermen for approval of the final
site development plan was taken in two votes with stipulations.
Moving
the driveway farther west should be granted subject to St. Louis County Highway
Department’s approval and that the electric signal will be installed and
expenses paid by St. John’s Mercy. Yeas:
Ahrens, Bogosian, Cloute, Grabner and Shea.
The building should be approved subject to the five (5) following
conditions:
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·
Board of
Adjustment approves all requested and necessary variances
·
Signage
package to be submitted to the city at a later date for issuance of a special
use permit
·
Final
approval received from MSD and Fru-Con
·
Requirement
for 200’ buffer is fulfilled opposed to the 191.4 mentioned on site plan
·
Chain
link fence subject to Board of Aldermen approval
The final vote was taken with the following result.
Yeas: Ahrens, Bogosian, Cloute, Grabner and Shea.
The meeting adjourned at 9:55 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan Shea
Planning and Zoning Commission
City of Clarkson Valley