The Wildwood master-plan committee voted to direct city planning staff to investigate strengthening how the city treats historic assets after staff reported the recent removal of the Marycliff residence at the Mariners Retreat Center.

Committee members decided the city should study possible changes to the voluntary historic-preservation policy so the group can consider whether some protections should become mandatory or carry clearer criteria. The motion was made by Miss Clark and carried after a roll-call vote.

Why it matters: Committee members said the loss of Marycliff, a house more than 170 years old, shows the limits of the current voluntary program and prompted questions about incentives, legal tools and the city’s ability to offer meaningful protection for aging structures.

City planning staff told the committee the Marycliff residence had been removed within the past month and that the property’s owner cited Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and vandalism as factors in the decision. A staff member said the province in Toledo, Ohio, which owns the retreat center, provided the city with a little over a year to propose options but ultimately proceeded with demolition.

“Recently, we probably lost the most important historic assets in all of Wildwood and probably in Saint Louis County, and that was the Marycliff Residence,” a planning staff member said during the meeting. The staff member told the committee the city tried zoning, tax and subdivision incentives and attempted to place the structure on the local registry to qualify for national-listing promotion, but many incentives were limited because the property had religious-institution status and therefore did not receive tax incentives.

Committee members asked staff to bring back a prepared policy proposal. Questions from members focused on: what criteria would trigger mandatory review rather than voluntary review; whether the city could require review periods longer than the current 60–90 day windows in the code; and what incentives or zoning tools could encourage preservation without violating owners’ property rights.

Miss Clark made the motion to “authorize the department to investigate strengthening how we treat our true historic assets” and asked staff to prepare specific policy language for a future meeting. The motion passed.

Committee members also discussed whether parcel-specific incentives — such as allowing altered lot sizes, limited commercial conversions or subdivision adjustments — could make preservation economically feasible for owners. Staff said zoning or subdivision incentives and carefully targeted density allowances are among the tools previously discussed.

Closing: Staff said they will prepare a more detailed proposal and bring it back for committee review. Committee members emphasized they expect concrete criteria and options rather than a general statement to ensure the discussion can move toward actionable policy changes.