The Crestwood Board of Aldermen voted Tuesday night to table the second reading of an ordinance to hire a planning firm to develop the city’s first-ever comprehensive plan.

Aldermen voted 7-1 to table the ordinance to hire Peckham Guyton Albers & Viets, or PGAV, to develop the comprehensive plan, and to have representatives from PGAV and Houseal Lavigne Associates of Chicago make presentations to the board as soon as possible. Ward 2 Alderman Tim Trueblood was opposed.

At the board’s Feb. 10 meeting, Mayor Gregg Roby broke a 4-4 board tie on the first reading of the ordinance to hire PGAV. A “no” vote by Ward 3 Alderman Paul Duchild for a second reading delayed consideration of the measure until Tuesday’s meeting.

Aldermen voting in favor of the first reading of the ordinance to hire PGAV for the comprehensive plan were Trueblood, Mary Stadter of Ward 2, Bill Boston of Ward 3 and Mike Vincent of Ward 4.

Opposed were Aldermen Darryl Wallach and Richard Breeding, both of Ward 1, Duchild and board President Mike Tsichlis of Ward 4.

On Jan. 27, aldermen voted 6-1 to table the ordinance approving the agreement with PGAV. Trueblood was opposed and Boston was absent.

PGAV is already serving as the city’s planning consultant for the redevelopment of the former Crestwood Plaza.

Wallach said Jan. 28 that he believed using two firms — one for the mall redevelopment project and a second for the comprehensive plan — would benefit the city. He was particularly impressed with the proposal submitted by Houseal Lavigne Associates, which is developing Sunset Hills’ new comprehensive plan.

On Tuesday, Tsichlis cited the board’s 4-4 tie and made a motion to table the second reading of the ordinance and have representatives of Houseal Lavigne make a presentation to the board.

Wallach suggested amending Tscihlis’ motion to have representatives of both Houseal Lavigne and PGAV make presentations to the board, and the board approved the amended motion, which was seconded by Duchild.

The Crestwood Board of Aldermen was scheduled earlier this week to consider the second reading of an ordinance hiring a planning firm to develop the city’s first-ever comprehensive plan.

The Board of Aldermen was set to meet Tuesday night — after the Call went to press.

At the board’s Feb. 10 meeting, Mayor Gregg Roby broke a 4-4 board tie on the first reading of the ordinance hiring Peckham Guyton Albers & Viets, or PGAV, to develop the comprehensive plan. A “no” vote by Ward 3 Alderman Paul Duchild for a second reading delayed consideration of the measure until this week’s meeting.

PGAV is already serving as the city’s planning consultant for the redevelopment of the former Crestwood Plaza.

The firm’s fee is not to exceed $73,000 for that project.

Aldermen voting in favor of the first reading of the ordinance to hire PGAV for the comprehensive plan were Tim Trueblood and Mary Stadter, both of Ward 2, Bill Boston of Ward 3 and Mike Vincent of Ward 4.

Opposed were Aldermen Darryl Wallach and Richard Breeding, both of Ward 1, Duchild and board President Mike Tsichlis of Ward 4.

On Jan. 27, aldermen voted 6-1 to table the ordinance approving the agreement with PGAV. Trueblood was opposed and Boston was absent.

In a memo, City Administrator Mark Sime wrote that five companies had responded to the city’s request for proposals, or RFP, to assist in developing a comprehensive plan, and staff chose PGAV. But Wallach said he believed using two firms — one for the mall redevelopment project and a second for the comprehensive plan — would benefit the city. He was particularly impressed with a proposal submitted by Houseal Lavigne Associates of Chicago, which is developing Sunset Hills’ new comprehensive plan.

Houseal Lavigne’s price for the comprehensive plan and the mall redevelopment project totals $153,000. If Houseal Lavigne had been selected for both projects, the firm would have reduced its price by $18,000. For the comprehensive plan, Houseal Lavigne proposed a cost of $89,500, including $10,000 for information related to the mall, but excluding such direct project-related expenses as printing, copies, graphic reproduction, presentation materials, mileage and technology fees.

For the comprehensive plan, PGAV is proposing a fixed fee of $89,500, plus not-to-exceed reimbursable expenses of $3,500.

At the board’s Feb. 10 meeting, Tsichlis noted that he had spoken with Scott Haggerty, acting president of the Sunset Hills Board of Aldermen, about Houseal Lavigne.

“… He said that the firm has basically followed through, thus far, with everything that they said they would. He also said, and he told me that I could quote him here tonight on this, that the performance of Houseal Lavigne has been stellar …,” Tsichlis said. “… We also spoke about the continuity of the Watson Road corridor and how perhaps if the board were to closely consider this firm that we could potentially have a bridging between our municipalities on that very important corridor to both our cities …”

In comparing both firms, Wallach said he believes Houseal Lavigne has far more recent experience in developing comprehensive plans for cities and could offer some fresh perspectives. He also noted both firms’ prices were very similar.

“But I don’t really want to go solely on price,” he said. “I want to go based on experiences and based on a track record … As you indicated, Alderman Tsichlis, they’re already doing Sunset Hills. The Watson corridor is really a bigger picture for our city to capitalize on and if we can both work together, that would be great.”

Trueblood asked Sime what type of feedback he has received from “your peers in Sunset Hills with regard to their experience so far with the company in question?”

Sime replied, “… Contrary to what Alderman Tsichlis said, the folks I heard from are not pleased with Houseal Lavigne. They said that they think the cost has gone up $10,000 in the short time that they’ve been working this, and that Houseal Lavigne was a little unclear on the boundaries of Sunset Hills.

“So even when I talked to Houseal Lavigne myself when I interviewed two of their planners who would be working for the city of Crestwood, I came away with the impression that they weren’t too clear on Crestwood either …”

He did talk to officials in University City, where Houseal Lavigne is developing a comprehensive plan, “and they said, ‘So far, no problems.’”

Tsichlis asked Sime if he would divulge whom he spoke with in Sunset Hills, and Sime replied, “Citizens.”

Roby said, “… I don’t know anything about Houseal Lavigne. They may be a wonderful company, but when I look at the process of redevelopment, and in this particular situation, I looked at two specific things. The first one being if Houseal Lavigne is representing Sunset Hills, what is their — where are their loyalties going to lie when they start talking to Sunset Hills about, ‘Well, we know there’s a company in Crestwood that would like to move down here and we think this would be a good spot for them.’ Or vice versa. You run into some issues with that …”

“The second issue that I have is if I were suing you, would we both hire the same attorney to represent both of us? Probably not … PGAV’s going to be working on the Plaza redevelopment plan, and Houseal Lavigne and the comprehensive plan is also going to be reviewing the Plaza situation. And they come back to us with two different perspectives. Are we then going to hire a third company to come in and tell us which one of those two is — was right? Or which one of those two companies they would agree with? …”

Duchild said he disagreed with Roby’s interpretation of the services either planner would perform in developing a comprehensive plan.

“… The way you teed it up was more recommending which businesses go where and competing for specific companies, and that’s not the intent of a comprehensive plan,” Duchild said.

Roby said, “Really?”

Duchild said, “Yes, in my opinion — thank you — it’s more of a community development over five, 10 to 15 to 20 years. It’s not a competition thing …”