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Broadmoor residents urge city action on parking-lot loitering, lighting and cleanup
Summary
Representatives from the Broadmoor Apartments and a nearby business told the council the parking lot near a historic bus shelter has become a gathering place for drug use, vandalism and human waste; they asked for better lighting, more frequent public-works cleanup and resurfacing (estimated at $30,000).
Maplewood, Mo. — Residents and property representatives from the Broadmoor apartments told the City Council on Aug. 12 that a public parking lot and historic bus shelter adjacent to their building has become a persistent site of loitering, drug use, vandalism and human waste, and asked the city for immediate deterrents including more lighting and more frequent trash pickup.
Joe Morrissey of the Broadmoor Group said the parking lot “doesn’t really feel like it’s for intended purpose of, like, a parking lot. It’s more kind of like a recreation area where there’s drug use, drinking, and basically people just don't feel safe.” Morrissey told the council prospective tenants have backed out of leases after seeing the lot and cited smashed car windows and incidents of human feces near the building.
Morrissey and other Broadmoor representatives urged the city to consider improved lighting and other short-term deterrents in addition to longer-term redevelopment. He said the property owner is ready to continue conversations with the city and noted the building’s renovation investment and the developer’s efforts to return the property to active housing.
Business owner Shannon McMiller of Sugarfix 101 asked that Public Works increase cleanup frequency in the area, saying trash “accumulates a lot” and requesting that crews pick up litter more often. A city staff member responding to questions said the lot is a public parking lot where Broadmoor tenants also park and that the approximate cost to resurface the lot would be about $30,000. Staff said they have only preliminarily discussed adding new solar street lighting that a WashU study recommended and would look more closely at lighting after hearing the public comment.
Council members thanked Broadmoor representatives for their engagement and asked staff to explore short-term lighting and cleanup options in coordination with police and public works. No formal action was taken at the meeting; the comments were part of the public-comment period and staff said they would follow up.
