With a 3-2 vote, the Green Park Board of Aldermen rejected a rezoning request for the proposed Arbors at Clydesdale Park subdivision last week.

Developer J.H. Berra proposed the subdivision with 41 attached homes at 10995 Kohrs Lane, which is owned by Ward 2 Alderman Tim Thuston. Berra requested a change in zoning from RS-1, single-family, to RS-1 with a planned residential development.

Ward 2 Alderman Jackie Wilson and Ward 3 Aldermen Fred Baras and Joe Monteleone voted to reject the rezoning request at the Sept. 16 meeting. Ward 1 Aldermen Tony Pousosa and Carol Hamilton voted in favor of Berra’s request.

Thuston recused himself from the issue last week, as he has done at past meetings.

Residents last week, as at previous meetings, voiced their opposition to the subdivision, citing concerns about traffic, particularly cut-through traffic, and that attached homes were proposed instead of single-family residences.

Thuston told the Call he was “very disappointed” with the board’s decision.

“… Obviously, I think they made a very bad decision. The transitional aspects of that development would have been perfect for that property, considering the county highway department and the apartment complex is right there, (along with) the nursing home,” he said. “It just seemed to be a perfect transitional property to single-family houses, and that was the concept we had really looked (at) and hoped to have with that property like it is.

“We’ve had a lot of different offers through the years, been challenged with a lot of other ideas from other people and thoughts of what to do with the property ourselves. We were basically the last ones in the whole area to sell family property, and we thought this was the best use of the land …”

The developer had revised the plans for the subdivision to address concerns raised by the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Aldermen, he noted.

“We did everything we were asked to do … and still they turned it down, which I thought was not in the best interests of the city,” Thuston said.

Pousosa agreed with Thuston that the developer had revised the plans to meet the concerns that had been raised.

“… They did exactly what every commissioner had mentioned in the original meeting — they did and then some,” Pousosa said. “This truly showed that the city of Green Park was dictating to the developer what we wanted to see, and that’s the beauty of municipal government …”

Berra’s original proposal called for 44 units, including three near the intersection of Kohrs Lane and Patsy Drive. Aldermen had voiced concern about those residents backing out on Kohrs Lane from their driveways.

As a result, the three units were eliminated.

The revised plans moved the subdivision entrance closer to Green Park Road and addressed concerns about stormwater runoff. Under Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District regulations, all water runoff must be captured and treated before it leaves the site.

Engineer Mark Payken of Payken Consulting, a consultant for the city, told the board last month that Berra’s revised plans for the subdivision addressed “almost all of the concerns that were stated publicly …

“… At least as far as I can tell, the only remaining issue is traffic,” he said, “and, you know, I’m not sure what can be done about that …”

Both Thuston and Pousosa noted that traffic has been a concern in that area, and cited the city’s Comprehensive Plan, which states, “Access to the Village at Green Park should be primarily from Kohrs Lane, although a future access via a realigned Yuma Drive connecting to Yuma Place as a part of any additional comprehensive development or redevelopment of the area along private Yuma Dive is desirable.”

“… There’s a lot of other questions about traffic I think need to be answered, including extending Yuma through,” Thuston said. “That is in the Comprehensive Plan … It’s not our fault that the city didn’t go through with its plans.”

Pousosa said, “The point I was trying to make with the Yuma Drive and Yuma Place connection is that it’s already in our Comprehensive Plan and will eventually happen anyway. What I meant by connecting that is that it would not be anything to direct traffic off of Lindbergh or Green Park Road through those subdivisions, but to alleviate some of the congestion that is caused by Southtowne Farms and Village of Green Park using Ronnie Hills to get to Lindbergh, which, to me, they have a right to do because they’re all residents of Green Park …”

Aldermen voted unanimously last week to approve a preliminary plat for the nearly 6-acre site, as it met all of the city’s requirements.

Asked about the future of the property, Thuston said, “There are other plans that we may explore, certainly. Obviously, there are some other things we’d like to take a look at that other people have talked to us about that might fit into the city’s future plans and might be approved. We don’t know.”