Webster Groves preservation commissioners press city for floor‑area ratio fixes, draft advisory letter on demolitions

Webster Groves — The Historic Preservation Commission on Sept. 9 reviewed a city report on residential demolitions, discussed proposed changes to local zoning and floor‑area‑ratio (FAR) rules intended to slow tear‑downs, and agreed to prepare an advisory letter to City Council outlining the commission’s recommendations.

The commission heard the demolition review from Sam Dobson, who introduced himself as the report’s author and as a former city intern who now serves as a code enforcement officer. Dobson presented case examples showing that ‘‘we build bigger and and more expensive’’ houses, and said it is ‘‘quite normal for us to tear down the 800 or 900 square foot home and rebuild 2,500, 3,000 square feet.’’ He said the trend is visible in scattered locations and that the report’s recommendations are intended to manage conversion pressure without opposing all development.

The discussion centered on two technical changes commissioners said could reduce incentives for wholesale replacements: (1) tightening the FAR calculation so new construction is more in scale with historical averages in each…