Concerns about additional traffic caused the county Planning Commission to deny the Mehlville School District’s rezoning request for a bus facility at Ringer and Lemay Ferry roads, according to commission Chairman Wayne Hilzinger.

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.

The district had proposed a bus facility and administrative offices for the site.

“The concern is the traffic congestion in that area,” Hilzinger told the Call, “and that basically was the only concern, trying to put 32 more buses coming in (and) out of a difficult area already.”

Despite the Department of Planning’s recommendation to approve the rezoning request, Hilzinger said commission members believed the bus facility would create too much additional traffic in the area.

“We certainly respect the department’s recommendations, but … the commission does disagree time to time with the staff,” Hilzinger said.

The Planning Commission met last night — Monday, April 2 — and voted unanimously to deny the district’s rezoning request.

Look for a full story in next week’s edition of the Call.