Monte Nido Clementine St. Louis — an eating disorder treatment center located in Oakville on Christopher Drive — is no longer seeking to expand its operations following a unanimous vote from the St. Louis County Planning Commission to drop the pending matter from its agenda.
Following an application proposing expansion that was submitted to the county by Monte Nido in March, representatives from the treatment center came before the St. Louis County Planning Commission — an advisory body to the County Council that reviews zoning and development in unincorporated areas — during a public hearing in June, requesting a conditional use permit to increase the number of beds in its facility from eight to 14. The addition of beds would not have required construction on the existing six-bedroom, 14,352-square-foot structure that Monte Nido operates out of.
Since the public hearing on June 8, the petition remained held as staff analyzed the request. Upon further review, it was determined that the commission could not move forward with the matter at this time due to a settlement agreement executed between St. Louis County and Monte Nido on Oct.12, 2021, which limits the use of the site to a maximum of eight residents.
“The Planning Commission lacks the authority to supersede, void or amend a binding legal settlement between a private entity and St. Louis County through a standard zoning process,” a letter dated Sept. 14 from the commission to the St. Louis County Council reads. “An application for a CUP on a property with a binding settlement agreement is premature and out of order at this time. A request to expand the facility cannot be considered by the Planning Commission until such time that the settlement agreement has been amended to permit the increased density.”
According to Sarah Berger Clark, the Senior Clinical Director at Monte Nido Chicago Residential and Day Treatment Program, Monte Nido is now working with St. Louis County to determine the appropriate next steps. Samantha Petersen, the regional director of Monte Nido who was present at the June public hearing, could not be reached.
Though not the reason the matter was dropped from the commission’s order of business, Monte Nido’s expansion request was met with animosity from a group of its residential neighbors. Multiple vocal Oakville residents with nearby property aired their grievances at the aforementioned summer public hearing, citing added traffic that the proposed additional patients would bring as a nuisance to the neighborhood not suited for such. Lack of revenue collected from the treatment center by the county, as Monte Nido Clementine St. Louis pays the residential tax rate due to its location, was also mentioned, though the main point of contention amongst community members was that the treatment center should have never been opened in the first place, as it is located in a residential neighborhood.
When it was time for the audience to give a show of hands in support or opposition of the expansion request at the Planning Commission’s June meeting, three of those in attendance voted in favor while 15 voted opposed.
“I am glad to hear that Monte Nido has stopped its expansion plans in Oakville,” Grant Mabie — an attorney representing some of the homeowners on Christopher Drive, and one of Crestwood’s Ward 3 aldermen — told The Call. “I have always been of the mind that its use would be more appropriate in a commercially zoned district.”
