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Commission approves demolition of 3185 South Brentwood Boulevard; asks owner to acknowledge early owner Maria Powell
Summary
The commission approved a demolition permit for 3185 South Brentwood Blvd. and unanimously requested that the property owner (Onder Properties / MC Co Investments) be asked to include interpretive or commemorative material acknowledging early owner Maria Powell and the site’s local history.
The Webster Groves Historic Preservation Commission voted Jan. 14 to approve a demolition permit for 3185 South Brentwood Boulevard and asked staff to send a letter to the property owner recommending inclusion of interpretive material recognizing early owner Maria Powell.
Staff and commissioners reviewed historical research showing the parcel was part of a roughly 3-acre holding once owned by Maria Powell; maps and county tax records reviewed by staff indicate she owned the tract by 1909 and sold parcels over time. The existing house on the parcel has a building permit dated 1926; a doctor associated with the house appears in the 1930 census and later owned the property. Commissioners noted the property is surrounded by lots recently acquired by the same development interest (identified in county records as MC Co Investments / Onder Properties) and that the owner has carried out other acquisitions and redevelopment in the area. Commissioners said the developer had previously shown willingness to support neighborhood commemoration and that a polite written request might be welcomed.
At the meeting the commission asked staff to prepare a short packet of historical background (including maps and key dates) and a letter on commission letterhead recommending that the developer consider on-site recognition (for example an interpretive panel or plaque) of Maria Powell and the property’s local history. One commissioner offered to draft background material summarizing library and county records for staff to include with the letter. Commissioners also discussed attending any Planning Commission public hearing on future development to present historic context.
A motion to approve the demolition request — including the commission’s request for a packet and letter recognizing Maria Powell — carried unanimously. The commission did not place regulatory conditions on the permit; the recommendation for interpretive material was advisory and incorporated into the permit transmittal and staff report to ensure it appears in subsequent planning documents.
