Kirkwood holds public hearing on rezoning request for portion of 1120 Earl Avenue

Kirkwood City Council recessed into a public hearing Thursday to consider a request to rezone a portion of 1120 Earl Avenue from R-4 single-family residential to B-3 highway business so the owner can combine that portion with adjacent commercial property at 10921 Manchester. The council did not vote; the application will appear on the council agenda for first reading on April 3, 2025.

The rezoning request would apply only to the west side of a stream that crosses the 1120 Earl lot. "The portion that the applicant is asking to rezone is on the west side of the creek, and it's not, for the most part, in the flood plain," City Planner II Amy Lowry said during the staff presentation. Lowry said the full 1120 Earl parcel is about 21,000 square feet and the rezoning request covers roughly 7,600 square feet.

Why it matters: the rezoned parcel would be joined by boundary adjustment to an existing commercial property at 10921 Manchester and could be used for a small addition to an existing yoga studio and for a parking area. Lowry told the council the Planning and Zoning Commission subcommittee and the full commission reviewed the application and that the commission recommended approval, "by a vote of 6 to 1," citing consistency with the comprehensive plan's corridor-adjacent guidance and because much of the 1120 parcel would remain residentially zoned.

The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) and a consultant, HR Green, are planning stormwater work in the area that staff said will address flooding. Lowry said MSD expects an easement to run through part of the site as part of the MSD project and that existing and proposed MSD easements could "limit the property owners' ability to develop the site." She added that "generally MSD doesn't allow structures on top of easements, but they would allow a parking lot."

Applicant and proposal: Bobby Baker, who said he owns the yoga studio (Namaste Yoga Studio) and several nearby Manchester properties, told the council he intends to use a pervious pavement system for the parking surface rather than standard asphalt or concrete. "I don't intend to put a as an asphalt or concrete parking lot," Baker said. He described plans to maintain green space and to protect residential investments: "I will not do anything that's going to jeopardize my residential investment." Baker said his business group has already invested in multiple properties along the Manchester corridor.

Public comment: dozens of residents spoke in the public hearing. Lindsey Stevens, a homeowner immediately east of 1120 Earl, said neighbors organized a petition opposing rezoning and that it has "hundreds of signatures, including the signatures of residents in all 28 of the homes on this map" adjacent to the parcel. Stevens said she disagreed with the Planning and Zoning recommendation and asked councilors to "faithfully represent us as your constituents."

Other nearby residents raised similar concerns about precedent, noise, light, traffic and flooding. Megan Shar, who said she lives next to the site, argued rezoning "sets a precedent for the city's future choices" and said the neighborhood values the site's current residential zoning as green space and stormwater buffer. Several commenters asked whether shared parking arrangements might instead be negotiated with nearby commercial properties.

Council and staff clarifications: Council members and staff discussed what uses B-3 zoning would allow, with Lowry listing a range of allowed commercial uses and noting that some uses (for example auto-oriented uses or a marijuana dispensary) would require special-use permits and separate council approvals. Lowry and staff explained that, if the rezoning is approved and the owner proposes parking or other development, final plans would be reviewed by MSD for compliance with floodplain and stormwater regulations before the city approves construction on the rezoned portion.

Outcome and next steps: the public hearing closed with no council decision recorded. Lowry entered exhibits including the Planning and Zoning Commission report dated 02/06/2025 and a map and notice affidavits into the record. The council chair said the bill will be placed on the April 3 council meeting agenda for first reading consideration. Because the hearing produced substantive public opposition and technical constraints (MSD easements and floodplain mapping), any future development will be subject to MSD, floodplain, and site-permit review before the city would allow construction.

Ending: the record shows divergent neighborhood views—some residents and nearby businesses supporting expansion of an existing business and improved frontage on Manchester Road, and others urging the council to preserve the parcel's residential zoning because of flooding and neighborhood character concerns. The council will consider the ordinance at first reading on April 3, 2025; no final zoning decision was made at the hearing.