South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

Request to amend Watson Road plan to be considered by Crestwood panel

Citizen asks if amended plan will meet TIF law requirement
Gregg Roby
Gregg Roby

A request to amend Crestwood’s Watson Road Commercial District Plan is scheduled to be considered this week by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

City Planner Adam Jones will present the request to amend the plan when the panel meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 1, at the Government Center, 1 Detjen Drive.

The Watson Road Commercial District Plan, also called the Watson Road Corridor Plan, serves as the city’s comprehensive plan for the Watson Road commercial district. The plan originally was created in 1984 through a cooperative effort by city officials and the Crestwood business community.

The Watson Road Commercial District Plan was amended in 1998, based on recommendations by the Crestwood 2000 Commission and the city’s Watson Road Committee. The plan was last amended in 2005 by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

The Call made a Sunshine Law request to City Clerk Helen Ingold on June 25 for a copy of the proposed 2015 amendment to the Watson Road Commercial District Plan, but did not receive a response before press time.

TIF appointments OK’d

At the June 23 Board of Aldermen meeting, the board voted unanimously to approve six appointments to the city’s Tax-Increment Financing, or TIF, Commission that will be convened for UrbanStreet Group of Chicago’s proposal to redevelop the former Crestwood Plaza. UrbanStreet Group purchased the mall property last year for $2.625 million.

Appointed to the TIF Commission were:

• Glenn Henninger of the county Department of Transportation and Public Works.

• Margaret Hart-Mahon of the county counselor’s office.

• Pam Reitz of the county Department of Administration.

• Resident Greg Hall, who serves on the city’s Economic Development Commission.

• Resident Mike Balles, who serves on the city’s Public Works Board and Board of Adjustment.

• Resident Tim Trueblood, a former Ward 2 alderman.

Six appointments remain to be made for the 12-member TIF Commission, including three more county representatives, two representatives of Lindbergh Schools and one representative of other taxing entities.

UrbanStreet submitted the only response to the city’s request for proposals, or RFP, to redevelop the mall site, last known as Crestwood Court.

The mall owner is requesting nearly $28 million in TIF for a roughly $99.5 million mixed-use project at the 48-acre site at Watson and Sappington roads.

During a period for public comment last week, resident Martha Duchild noted that the state TIF statute requires that a redevelopment plan must conform to the comprehensive plan for the development of the municipality as a whole.

“… I believe Crestwood does not have a comprehensive plan outlining development of the municipality as a whole. I think that’s been established, right? We do not have such a plan?” she said.

City Administrator Mark Sime replied, “The city has been using the Watson Road Corridor Plan as its comprehensive plan. The city is in the process of getting another comprehensive plan. But the city has been using the Watson Road Corridor Plan and will continue to do so for the interim.”

In reviewing the city’s legal bills, Duchild said she learned that under redevelopment costs, “There was a couple thousand in legal fees researching that Watson Road Corridor Plan and whether it conformed to state statutes at the time it was adopted. Was this legal research conducted to use this as a comprehensive plan because this only addresses the corridor and not the municipality as a whole?”

Duchild asked City Attorney Lisa Stump if she had arrived at a legal conclusion regarding whether the Watson Road Corridor Plan conformed with state TIF statute for use as a comprehensive plan based on her research.

“… You know, I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to discuss it at a public meeting. It would be protected as attorney-client privilege,” Stump said.

Duchild said, “OK, and who is the client in this case?”

Stump said, “The city — the Board of Aldermen.”

Duchild continued, “OK, you could tell one of the board members what your conclusion was?”

Stump said, “I could tell the board as a whole what my conclusion is …”

Duchild said, “Or you could tell one of the board members if they asked you?”

Stump said, “Sure.”

Duchild said, “… And this was a 30-year-old plan, right? This is a 30-year-old plan that only addressed the Watson Road Corridor, it did not address the city as a whole. And based on state statute, it appears that the TIF Commission cannot conduct its findings of fact on this issue until the city’s comprehensive plan is completed.

“Since the board has not yet selected a planner for the comprehensive plan, the TIF Commission has to wait until they have a comprehensive plan in hand to conduct the findings of fact on the development plan. Is this an accurate statement?”

Stump replied, “… All I can tell you is that we have looked at the legal issues. Your special counsel is looking at the legal issues. We are advising the city and I’m sure that the city will be compliant with the statute as they go through the process.”

Duchild said, “And will the city confirm that it will not try to amend the Watson Road Corridor Plan and use it as a comprehensive plan for the purposes of advancing the TIF process? Will you confirm that it will not be done because we’re going out to bid on a comprehensive planner and it would be a waste of money to try and amend the Watson Road Corridor Plan, at the same time go out and hire a comprehensive planner to do the true comprehensive plan.

“Will the city confirm that it will not use the Watson Road Corridor Plan and try to amend it to advance the TIF process? Can you confirm that you will not do that? Mayor? City administrator?”

Roby said, “I don’t know that we’re at that point. I don’t know that we’re at that point.”

Duchild interjected, “Can you confirm that?”

Roby said, “No, I’m not going to confirm that. I can’t confirm that …”

Duchild interjected, “So there is a chance you would use a 30-year-old plan …”

Roby interjected, “Is it 30 years old?”

Duchild said, “Yes.”

Roby said, “I thought it was 2005.”

Duchild said, “Thirty-four years old. It’s in the legal bills.”

Roby said, “OK.”

Duchild said, “I would like the board to consider that this would be a waste of money …”

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