By Gloria Lloyd
News Editor
glorialloyd@callnewspapers.com

Neighbors of a proposed U-Haul storage facility that could replace the Show Me Lanes bowling alley in Oakville have hired an attorney and submitted a petition against the project to the County Council.

The county Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of a new four-story U-Haul facility that could replace Show Me Lanes, which has operated at 4575 Lemay Ferry Road since 1978. Local U-Haul owner Steve Langford proposes to reuse the current bowling alley building in the same way he’s repurposed old warehouse and factory buildings in downtown St. Louis for U-Haul buildings.

But neighbors in the Partridge Farm Estates subdivision submitted a petition with 119 homeowner signatures against the plan, their attorney Dan Manning told the council last week.

Several of the residents speaking against the facility said they feel ignored by Clayton, a common complaint from residents of the unincorporated 6th District caught up in zoning issues.

“These concerns were ignored by the Planning Commission,” Manning said April 24.

The building is four floors so that it can be built in the existing footprint of Show Me Lanes, which is more environmentally friendly.

However, residents think the building is simply too tall for their neighborhood and will add traffic that will make driving on Lemay Ferry Road untenable.

It adds up to a “four-story monstrosity” to resident Jerome Slavik, who added about the planning panel, “I find this to be a very awkward situation that they would put us in and allow this to happen.”

Sandra Delarber said, “It is going to be a catastrophe for our families.”

“My biggest fear is that if they’re allowed to be built there, one of the three storage facilities within 1,000 yards closes down and we’ll have even more vacant commercial property adding to the growing pile of growing commercial property near and around my neighborhood,” resident Mark Zang said.

“I moved from the city and now they’re trying to move the city out to me,” Gary Henley said.

He asked everyone on the council, “Do you’s live in Mehlville?”

When 6th District Councilman Ernie Trakas, R-Oakville, responded that he lives in the area, Henley said, “You do? Congratulations. Maybe you’ll help us get rid of this building.

“I don’t have a lot to say, I’m not a speaker. I’m just going to say we don’t need this building.”