The Missouri Department of Transportation could lose one of its commuter parking lots at Gravois Road and Lindbergh Boulevard if it agrees to sell the lot to the Sansone Group, a local real-estate company.

An ordinance was unanimously approved at last week’s Sunset Hills Board of Aldermen meeting approving a cooperation agreement between the city and the Sansone Group for public improvements and development rights of the easternmost commuter parking lot.

Mayor Bill Nolan told the Call the Sansone Group approached MoDOT to see if the company would be interested in selling or trading properties for the commuter parking lot.

“This tells us that they have a business of some kind that would like to locate there,” Nolan said. “So they have a prospect for that location if they could get that piece of property.”

City Attorney Robert Jones said the Sansone Group will have to acquire the lot from MoDOT, and if it is unable to do so, “the agreement will be meaningless.”

MoDOT currently is “trying to determine whether (it is) willing to transfer or sell the commuter lot,” according to Jones.

“They’re still doing their investigation with the traveling public to determine whether or not they can spare the lot,” Jones said.

The agreement, according to Jones, allows the city to contract with a private party for public improvements. The city selected the Sansone Group as the exclusive developer for the MoDOT commuter lot and Sansone agreed to provide public improvements.

The Sansone Group mentioned a couple possible tenants, but the city attorney said he does not “think there’s enough detail to share that information,” according to Jones.

Nolan said Sunset Hills has a “limited amount of property left” that can be developed, and he told MoDOT a commuter lot is not a “best use” of the space.

“Until MoDOT agrees to sell it, the whole thing an exercise to try to encourage them,” Nolan said.

The ordinance came to the board through the city’s Business Development Committee, the mayor added.