Warrenton aldermen approve East Highway 47 Dollar General subdivision and site plan; court order cited, residents raise safety and road-wear concerns

The Warrenton Board of Aldermen voted April 15 to approve the preliminary and final plat and a site plan for property on the east side of Highway 47, known in meeting documents as the East Highway 47 Dollar General Subdivision and the accompanying site plan north of Isabella Drive. Both measures passed by recorded votes of 6-0.

The measures (referred to in the meeting as Bill 18-25 and Bill 19-25) went forward after the mayor and multiple aldermen said they had been advised that court action made the approvals unavoidable. Mayor Eric Schluter told the board the city “abide[s] by what a judge advises,” and that while members retain personal opinions, they sought to follow the court’s instructions when a ruling is issued.

The vote outcomes were announced during roll call: Alderman Lang, Alderman Schultz, Alderman Crump, Alderman Quarter, Alderman Cullum and Alderman Roemaker recorded affirmative votes, and the mayor declared each bill passed 6-0.

During public comment, resident Melissa Jepsen said the project and anticipated truck traffic will affect neighborhood roads and safety. Jepsen said fully loaded semitrailers can weigh about 80,000 pounds and that an average refuse truck can weigh about 60,000 (she noted she was not certain of exact figures). She asked the city to require road repair by developers and to close perceived loopholes in zoning and planning that she said let undesired business types locate repeatedly in the same areas. “One of the things as I was running for Alderwoman that I had planned on trying to do . . . is asking as they do the building that they’re required and responsible” for repairing any damage, Jepsen said.

Mayor Schluter and aldermen responded that the city is reviewing ordinances and has discussed changes at recent workshops; Schluter invited concerned residents to speak with him after the meeting for additional facts and to hear his personal views. Aldermen said the council is consulting legal counsel to revise zoning and permit provisions while avoiding actions that could expose the city to legal risk.

The board did not adopt new regulatory language during the meeting. Officials described ongoing staff and workshop work to identify where ordinance changes might be legally permissible. The mayor said the board could not always comment publicly while litigation was pending.

Votes and next steps: The two bills (Bill 18-25: preliminary/final plat for East Highway 47 Dollar General Subdivision; Bill 19-25: site plan approval for property on east side of Highway 47 north of Isabella Drive) passed by recorded votes of 6-0. City staff and aldermen said they will continue to discuss road maintenance responsibilities, turn-lane requests with MoDOT and possible ordinance language to address concentration of business types.

Residents with concerns were encouraged to remain after the meeting to speak individually with the mayor and staff.