The county Planning Commission appears to be a great deal more receptive to residents’ concerns today than it was in the past.

We can cite two examples in which the Planning Commission listened to residents’ concerns and rejected proposals recommended by Department of Planning staff.

Just last week, the commission voted unanimously to recommend denial of Wal-Mart’s request to build a 24-hour grocery store in south county.

Wal-Mart representatives proposed a 41,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market on what is now a vacant lot next to a Petro Mart at Tesson Ferry and Butler Hill roads.

Nearby residents, however, were up in arms over the proposal, which they contended would disrupt the tranquility of their neighborhood.

“I certainly did not envision a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week store there,” Planning Commission Chairman Wayne Hilzinger said, recalling the commission’s thoughts when it recommended rezoning the site from residential to C-2 commercial two years ago. “I think we were talking attached housing as a transition to single-family homes, we were talking neighborhood services — but certainly not a 24-hour grocery store.”

Though the proposal moves to the County Council, we’d be surprised if it advances any further.

Roughly a year ago, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend denial of a request by the Mehlville School District to rezone property at Lemay Ferry and Ringer roads for a facility that would house administrative offices, 32 buses and be used for light bus maintenance.

At the time, Hilzinger said increased traffic was the Planning Commission’s main concern.

“Those concerns have been voiced by people who live in that area, who travel that intersection and that area to and from work,” he said. “And basically the district was not proposing any kind of changes that would help the traffic pattern.”

After the vote, the school district elected not to pursue the matter.

In the past, the commission seldom heeded residents’ concerns. In fact, during the late Doug Morgan’s very lengthy reign as Planning Commission chairman, the panel seemed predisposed to favor developers over residents, particularly those developers who helped fill the campaign coffers of county elected officials.

It’s refreshing to see the commission is willing to listen to residents and act accordingly on their behalf.