Residents press City of Saint Ann over truck-training operations; developer offers berm, trees and route changes

Residents told the Board of Aldermen of the City of Saint Ann on Feb. 3 that nighttime activity tied to a truck-driving training tenant at a commercial site has produced persistent noise, visible parked trailers and truck movements through nearby residential streets.

At the heart of the concern was whether the tenant’s operations match the special-use permit conditions and whether trucks are using Saint Ann residential streets. A resident told the board, “That’s an industrial use and should not be next to residential,” and later said neighbors have gathered a petition of about 65 signatures asking the city to act.

The dispute drew developer Paul David Garner, the tenant’s representatives and the site civil engineer to the meeting to respond. Garner identified himself as the developer and said the operation typically shuts down about 1:30 a.m. and “everything shut down about 01:30, 01:45,” and that drivers typically leave by about 2:30 a.m. He said the training course is 160 hours (50 classroom, 110 behind-the-wheel), with training days of roughly 10 hours and approximately 8½ to 9 hours of maneuvers for a student during field sessions.

Garner and his civil engineer, Mark Ditch, presented several mitigation options they said they are willing to implement if the city gives direction. These options included importing fill to raise the existing berm by roughly 3–4 feet, planting a staggered row of evergreen trees (Garner said he could procure 5– to 6-foot arborvitae in the spring) and erecting a fence. Garner said a berm would act as a more effective immediate noise barrier, while trees would take years to mature but could be planted this spring.

Board members and staff pressed for operational details. Residents and at least one board member reported seeing more vehicles on-site than the tenant stated; one resident said he observed “8 tractors and 21 trailers” on a recent day, while tenant and developer representatives described GPS tracking and a training schedule that they said constrains truck movements. Tenant representatives said training trucks are routed to avoid neighborhood streets when feasible and that trucks are tracked with software (Motive) that provides forward- and driver-facing cameras and GPS.

The special-use permit was explicitly raised during public comment. A resident said the permit states the tenant “cannot use city streets”; officials acknowledged the permit language exists and said the board may need to amend conditions if enforcement or routing needs change.

Board members said they want clear direction before the developer spends money. Garner said he is “willing to do whatever the city asks us to do” and asked for guidance from staff and aldermen on whether to plant now, build a berm, or both. Multiple aldermen asked city staff to review the permit conditions and the on-site routing proposals and to report back; the board indicated they would discuss permit amendments in closed session.

The board also encouraged continued direct communication between residents and the tenant; a tenant representative provided a contact number for at least one on-site manager. Several aldermen and the developer said they will inspect routing options (including exiting by Lindbergh near the mattress and furniture stores) to see whether trucks can be routed off Old Saint Charles Road and away from residential blocks.

The meeting closed the public-comment exchange by noting staff would follow up; the board signaled it intends to review the special-use permit language, routing and mitigation options in the coming weeks.