How many times do the people of Oakville need to fight off a proposed QuikTrip convenience store and gas station on Telegraph near Forder?

Twice now residents have fought QuikTrip proposals they believe would intrude on the quality of life in their neighborhoods only to see the specter rise again.

During a March 7 hearing the county Planning Commission witnessed an overwhelming show of opposition to the QuikTrip proposal. While 16 people supported the idea, 2,535 expressed opposition either through petitions, letters, in person or by a show of hands.

Very little doubt exists where the public stands on this QuikTrip proposal, still the Planning Commission led by Chairman Doug Morgan is recommending St. Louis County not listen to residents.

We have frequently warned residents of the danger of having a man like Morgan in place for decades and the danger of him feeling above re-proach from elected leaders like our own councilman, John Campisi.

This is just the most recent case in which Morgan and the commission have thumbed their noses at the public they are supposed to serve.

Morgan is even more dangerous to south county’s collective will because of his partisan political leanings. A Democrat, Morgan will stop at nothing to contradict and confound our elected leader when it suits him.

For example, when Campisi attempted to implement a conservation district that would have given economically depressed Lemay a chance to prosper again, Morgan decided to listen to those who opposed the measure rather than Campisi and the professionals in the Department of Planning who supported the measure.

“Based on public sentiment which seems to be largely against the establishment of a property conservation district, the Planning Commission recommends denial of the establishment of the Lemay Township Prop-erty Conservation District,” stated the report the Planning Commission, under Morgan’s “leadership,” filed with St. Louis County in 2001.

If overwhelming opposition was enough to contradict the Department of Planning recommendation for a Lemay Property Conservation Dis-trict in 2001, it ought to be enough to save the public from fighting this QuikTrip over and over in 2005.

And, we ought to be able to see an end in sight to the Morgan era on the Planning Commission.