Webster Groves planners review draft 'Journey to Destination' comprehensive plan; public input invited

The Webster Groves Planning Commission on Feb. 3 heard a presentation on the draft comprehensive plan — titled “Journey to Destination Webster Groves” — from consultants Josh Bloom and Hannah Badger of the Lakota Group, and discussed strategies on housing, commercial districts, mobility and stormwater management while inviting further public comment.

The draft plan, presented to the commission during an executive-session presentation, is described by Lakota Group consultants as the product of a three‑phase public process that included two online surveys (more than 500 responses overall, roughly 270 responses per survey) and multiple workshops. “This is something that, although it is going to be adopted by City Council, it is something that’s going to be a tool for you guys to help kind of guide growth and development as we grow into the future,” said Josh Bloom, a Lakota Group consultant.

The consultants framed the plan around seven community “pillars”: resilient neighborhoods (housing), economic vitality, city of the arts, quality of life (parks and recreation), operational excellence, mobility (complete streets, pedestrian and bicycle networks) and essential systems (utilities, stormwater, sustainability). Bloom and Badger said the document contains goals, strategies and potential action items; they asked the commission to review the draft goals and offer clarifying feedback before the consultants prepare the first full draft for formal review.

Housing and neighborhood character drew repeated attention. Lakota’s presentation recommended a housing study and zoning updates to preserve existing “attainable” housing and to diversify housing types, including infill options and form‑based approaches. Commissioners and participants pressed for clarity about how the plan would balance preserving Webster Groves’ scale and character while allowing new design. “The concept of form‑based codes to preserve the scale, but allow more diversity of design, while still maintaining the character of the city,” Bloom said when explaining possible regulatory tools.

On a related point, the consultants showed a three‑scenario (min/mid/max) approach for two opportunity sites meant to illustrate how the plan’s policies could be implemented: the Pacific Avenue/Gore site in Old Webster and a parcel on Watson Road near Elm Avenue. For Pacific/Gore the “minimum” scenario was described as achievable under current zoning and would add almost 150 dwelling units and about 20,000 square feet of ground‑floor retail; higher scenarios added one or two stories of housing and more units while keeping public frontage and stepping back upper floors. For Watson Road consultants showed similar mixed‑use scenarios and noted that parking requirements would need adjustment for higher‑density options: parking was not increased across the scenarios and developers might need to reduce parking ratios (the consultants noted a context in which parking could fall below typical per‑unit minimums).

Commissioners and residents raised technical constraints and tradeoffs. Several speakers highlighted stormwater and topography as limiting factors for development on both sites: one commissioner said the Pacific/Gore site “drops considerably” toward the creek and would require substantial earthwork to support larger footprints. Floodplain management and buyouts were raised during discussion of the essential‑systems pillar; the consultants and staff pointed attendees to a separate stormwater master‑plan update that will be presented at a City Council work session on Feb. 18.

Mobility and street design also attracted sustained discussion. Consultants recommended a complete‑streets policy, traffic‑calming measures and expanded bicycle and pedestrian networks while noting the need to coordinate with other jurisdictions and state authorities where the city lacks roadway control (several commissioners suggested explicit reference to the State of Missouri where appropriate). One commissioner urged the plan to distinguish streets (places for people) from roads (through corridors) when prioritizing safety and design.

Public comment included praise for the commission’s work and a request to preserve current housing affordability. Dave Buck, a Webster Groves resident, thanked the commission for its deliberations and said commissioners “do the heavy lifting” on contentious projects. The consultants reiterated that the document is a draft tool and asked for written feedback; the commissioners and staff noted a comment deadline of Feb. 10 to be included in the next iteration.

No formal action to adopt the plan was taken at the Feb. 3 meeting. Commissioners provided verbal questions and direction and asked the consultants to incorporate feedback into a draft comprehensive plan the Lakota Group will prepare for further review; the consultants said they plan to produce the next draft in March. The commission’s next regular meeting was announced as March 3, 2025.

Votes at a glance: the commission approved the minutes of the Jan. 27, 2025 meeting by voice vote; commissioners also moved to adjourn the regular session and convene the executive session for the Lakota Group presentation.

What’s next: Lakota Group and city staff will incorporate commission comments into the first draft of the comprehensive plan for review in March; staff asked commissioners and residents to send additional written comments to Deputy City Manager Renee Tyler. The City Council will receive a process update at its next meeting, and the stormwater master‑plan update will be presented at the council work session on Feb. 18.