[an error occurred while processing this directive]

ZONING 101

(Originally posted October, 2007, Updated March 25, 2012) Watch this video to understand why the citizens were upset about the recent zoning changes.



UPDATES ON THE ZONING

(Originally posted October, 2008, Updated March 25, 2012) A lawsuit was filed on 8/20/08 to reverse the zoning that makes one third of Crystal City industrial.   Rumors about the future of the Crystal City riverfront were abundant.  The rumors included that the Bill Bradley farm was on the verge of being sold and could be cleared for use as a barge port.

This new lawsuit was intended to make sure that the rezoning of Crystal City was done properly by letting neighboring property owners and the citizens of Crystal City voice their opinions about any changes that could take place.   The lawyer representing the plaintiffs was Bob Sweeney, the city attorney for the city of Arnold that won the eminent domain case for the city of Arnold in the Missouri Supreme Court.  According to Mr. Sweeney this lawsuit only existed to make sure that the zoning is redone.  If the zoning was done properly the lawsuit would be dropped.

On Thursday, October 9, 2008 there was a public hearing to let the citizens and land owners express their opinions about the zoning.  At that meeting Bob Sweeney and independent attorney and Crystal City resident Joe Cunningham urged the P & Z Board to recommend that they put the riverfront properties back to recreational instead of industrial for the mere reason that the city would have more control of the development of the properties.  On Thursday, October 15, 2008 the Planning and Zoning Board voted to keep the zoning as industrial.

On Monday, October 20, 2008 there was a council meeting where motions were made to act on the recommendations of the previous P & Z Board recommendations.  The backyards of the residents of Mississippi Avenue were voted to be recreational and the Ursuline property was voted to be residential.  All other properties were voted to be industrial.  This is because the council needed at least a 6 to 2 vote to overturn the recommendations of the P & Z Board and the votes were either tied at 4 to 4 or, in the case of the Bill Bradley property, was 5 to 3.



CITY PASSES ORDINANCE FOR ZONING CHANGE

(Originally posted January, 2008, Updated March 25, 2012) On Monday, January 14, 2008 City officials passed an ordinance that literally changed the face of Crystal City.  It was also announced that Crystal City intended to annex the Festus Airport.  The annexation would be on a ballot in a special election in April of 2008.

Here is the major zoning change that turned all of the Bill Bradley property and the surrounding area into an industrial zone.  Our group (CCCC) was allowed to view and photograph the planned zoning changes.  These changes are presumably necessary for the planned iron ore smelting facility and supporting barge port facility.

The major changes are illustrated in the picture to the right.  You can click on the picture to view a larger version of it.  The area outlined in blue is the area that was previously zoned M2.   It is the old PPG property being leased to the smelter developer.  The zoning classification of M2, General Industrial, is the most permissive of the two industrial zonings.  The other industrial zoning classification is M1, Light Industrial.  

The area outlined in red is the new area zoned as M2.  There are two exceptions.   They are the areas that surround Hugs Landing Road (including the Plattin Rock Boat Club) and Howard Dohack Drive. This entire area was currently zoned as RC, Conservation District.  Permitted uses of RC zones include agricultural activity, parks, parkways, scenic areas, wildlife refuges, golf courses, cemeteries, picnic grounds and boat docks.  

We took a picture of the old and new zoning maps that were on display in City Hall.  The picture can be found here.  It is hard to discern the differences in the colors.   But the biggest change is that the large chunk of land that was zoned RC, Conservation, is now zoned M2, General Industrial.  This changed the zoning from the most restrictive classification to the most permissive classification.   And the new map shows that there is no RC (Conservation) zoning.  RC is not even on the legend anymore.