Webster Groves commission approves three demolition requests, including a tree‑smashed Wexford house

The Webster Groves Historic Preservation Commission on May 13 approved three demolition applications: 116 Summit Place, 1433 Wexford Avenue and the property listed in records as 802/804 East Pacific Avenue (the owner is pursuing county renumbering to 802/804).

The approvals came after staff and applicants described structural and siting constraints and, in one case, damage from a fallen tree. Commission discussion focused on historic research, the feasibility of renovation versus replacement, and plans for replacement construction.

Commission staff summarized historical research on 116 Summit Place, noting the existing building was constructed in 1931 and had served as rental housing in recent decades. The staff memo said archival material offered limited architectural significance beyond a “colonial…barn gable roof style” and that older permits showed the lot previously had earlier structures. Applicant comment followed: “we originally purchased it to move into. And we investigated the option of doing an addition,” said the applicant, who described foundation limitations, low basement headroom and repeated wet basement issues that builders told him would make an addition impractical. He said the family’s “current house…we love” and that a new house on the lot would better meet the family’s needs.

For 1433 Wexford Avenue, staff reported the house suffered catastrophic structural damage after a large tree fell on the building. Staff said the owner — who built the house in the 1960s and is described in the record as elderly — escaped injury and intends to reconstruct the house to match the original plans pulled from the site. A staff member summarized the emergency: “his TV cut out and he got up to [move] and a tree smashed in.” The commission and staff discussed insurance and code‑upgrade requirements; staff said reconstruction would have to meet current codes and that insurance typically covers required code upgrades.

The application for the property listed as 802/804 East Pacific Avenue included a note that the parcel is in the process of county renumbering; staff explained the county is updating street numbers and that new construction next door and the same contractor had prompted the renumbering petition. The applicant plans to remove an above‑ground pool, regrade the yard and site the new house more in line with neighboring front yards.

Each of the three demolition applications received a motion and vote during the meeting and were approved. The minutes record the votes as voice votes with “Aye” responses and no roll‑call recorded in the transcript. Following the votes, commissioners offered design guidance to applicants; several commissioners encouraged replacement construction that respects the neighborhood scale and the local vernacular.

The commission’s action in approving these requests is procedural: demolition permits were cleared by the Historic Preservation Commission subject to the customary follow‑up building and permit processes. The transcript records the commission’s decision but does not show separate design approvals for replacement plans; applicants will pursue applicable building permits and code reviews through city permitting channels.

Notes: the transcript discussion included neighborhood context and staff archival notes indicating the Summit Place lot had earlier structures in the late 19th/early 20th century. The commission’s vote outcomes were recorded as approved at the May 13 meeting; no formal dissent or recorded abstentions appear in the meeting transcript.