Clayton’s Board of Aldermen will be considering a controversial rezoning for a luxury apartment when it holds it first formal meeting of 2018 Tuesday night.
The board signed off on selling a city-owned parking lot on Dec. 19, paving the way for a new 22-story luxury apartment to be called Shaw Park Apartments at the corner of Forsyth and Brentwood Blvds in downtown Clayton.
The board will consider rezoning that property from High Density Commercial District to Planned Unit Development.
The property, which will include 228 units and a 324-space parking garage, was appraised for $3.13 million. A small amount of retail space was added on the ground floor. The project will still include a rooftop pool and sky bar.
Although it’s been approved by the city planning commission, business owners in single-family residential homes adjacent to the proposed rezoning have expressed their opposition through speaking up at public meetings and contacting board members.
Some neighbors and others had questioned whether the amount of parking to be provided will be adequate in the project, being proposed at the site of a current city surface parking lot on the northeast corner of Brentwood and Forsyth boulevards. The developer wants to buy the lot from the city.
The current city lot has 29 hourly, metered parking spaces and 103 monthly-leased spaces. City officials have said a minimum of 132 parking spaces in the garage must be made available for public use. Charles Hull, architect for the project, has said the spaces would be shared, with residents able to use those spaces in the evenings and shoppers and others able to use them during the day. He said the parking not available to the public may be restricted by a gate and/or permit process.
Lee Cannon, with CBB Transportation, the city’s traffic and parking consultant, has insisted the number of proposed garage parking spaces would be adequate.
Gary Feder, an attorney with Husch Blackwell representing KP Development which owns buildings at 8025 and 8027 Forsyth Boulevard immediately south and east of the site, unsuccessfully asked the commission to delay its vote at the Dec. 19 board meeting, citing concerns that proposed parking is insufficient and claiming shared public spaces aren’t adequate for the need.
The Board’s economic staff has recommended that the rezoning be approved
The board will hold a public hearing before considering the rezoning Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at Clayton City Hall at 10 N. Bemiston Avenue.
The Board will also consider approving a minor subdivision plat for Centene Corporation’s employment education and daycare facility at the Maryland School Property, as well as a liquor license for Bao, a new restaurant specializing in Chinese steamed buns, which is scheduled to open later this month in Clayton.