Mehlville School District officials last week addressed the county Planning Commission with a rezoning request to allow a bus facility at Ringer and Lemay Ferry roads.

Mehlville officials requested rezoning to a C-8 planned commercial district and amended C-8 planned commercial district from a C-2 shopping district and C-8 planned commercial district for 1.93 acres at 5310 and 5320 Lemay Ferry Road.

Clay Vance, an engineer with Vance Engineering, said of the two buildings on the site, one would be for offices and the other for light maintenance.

As proposed, a maximum of 32 buses — the district has 96 — would be at the facility at one time. Buses would be on the road by 6 a.m. and return to the facility by 5 p.m.

However, Bill Peters, who lives in the Peppertree Square condominiums off Heritage Woods Drive, said he believes a stoplight is needed at the intersection of Lemay Ferry and Ringer roads.

“I’m in favor of this thing, no problem, but we’ve got to have (a stoplight) because the traffic is very heavy,” he said. “Lemay Ferry is a well-established road, and it’s a bottleneck because you’ve got three-way traffic.”

Matt Ganim, of Homeward Lane, said he opposes the facility’s proposed use because the intersection of Ringer and Lemay Ferry roads is a “very dangerous intersection.”

“Coming off of Ringer Road, you cannot make a left-hand turn onto Lemay Ferry, and that’s pretty much it. At rush hour, you can’t do it at all,” Ganim said.

Mehlville School District Director of Transportation Dan Gilman said district officials already have taken into consideration issues raised by Ganim and Peters.

Buses, according to Gilman, would turn right onto Ringer Road when exiting and make a right turn into the facility from Lemay Ferry Road.

Roughly five buses would be on site throughout the day, according to Gilman.

A symbolic audience vote was 7-4 in favor of the proposed rezoning.

Board of Education member Ron Fedorchak, board Vice President Larry Felton and Director of Facilities Steve Habeck attended the public hearing.

No action was taken last week by the Planning Commission on the rezoning request.

In a separate matter March 19, attorney John King represented National Church Residences of St. Louis I Mo. Inc. for a rezoning request.

National Church Residences is seeking a rezoning change to an R-8, 500-square-foot Residence District from an R-2, 15,000-square-foot Residence District for 1.44 acres on Telegraph Road to build multiple-family residences for the elderly.

No action was taken by the Planning Commission on the request.