South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

Lindbergh near deal on purchase of property

Staff Report

The Lindbergh School District and the Matco Machine & Tool Co. may have reached a deal that will keep a new 25,000-square-foot warehouse out of Crestwood Elementary School’s back yard.

Matco planned to construct the 30-foot-tall office and warehouse facility on a va-cant section of property at 9550 Watson In-dustrial Park Drive, adjacent to the Crestwood Elementary School playground, and the Crestwood Planning and Zoning Com-mission had recommended approval of the project.

But now, according to the city, Lindbergh may buy part of the property to become part of the playground.

On Friday, Lindbergh Superintendent Jim Sandfort acknowledged discussions on purchasing part of the property but would not comment further than saying it was a safety and aesthetic issue.

“There are some safety issues that are of real concern to the families of Crestwood,” Sandfort told the Call.

“They want to be sure the campus remains the same and the character of the campus isn’t changed,” he added.

Chief Financial Officer Pat Lanane said the deal was close, but wouldn’t give specifics.

“We have not closed on it and it’s pending some final details we need to work out,” the assistant superintendent of finance told the Call Monday.

A hearing notice issued by the city’s Planning, Zoning and Architectural Review Commission states: “The city of Crestwood has received a request from Brandon Harp, Engineering Design Consultants … on behalf of the Lindbergh School District and Matco Machine for approval of a rezoning of approximately 2.01 acres of the western portion of the Matco Machine Property at 9550 Watson Industrial Park Drive from M-1 Light Industrial to R-2 15,000 square-foot residential.

“The rezoning would become effective upon the sale of the 2.01 acres to the Lindbergh School District, and the property would be incorporated into the Crestwood Elementary School parcel at 1020 Sappington Road as part of a boundary adjustment. There are no proposed improvements for the 2.01 acres to be purchased by the Lindbergh School District and rezoned,” the notice stated.

Harp was unavailable for comment before press time.

The board was scheduled to meet Wednesday — after the Call went to press — to consider the matter.

At previous meetings regarding the warehouse, Lanane has expressed safety concerns that children would climb the fence dividing the Matco property to play in the water-detention basin.

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