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Webster Groves board grants Travers Insurance building a one-space parking variance at 337 W. Lockwood
Summary
The Board of Adjustment approved a request to reduce required parking by one space to allow an insurer to convert attic space into offices at 337 West Lockwood Avenue, with the board noting the property''s irregular lot and existing leased spaces.
The Webster Groves Board of Adjustment voted unanimously Thursday to grant a variance reducing the required parking by one space for the property at 337 West Lockwood Avenue, allowing the building's owner to convert attic space into offices.
The variance, approved 5-0, will let Travers Insurance's building use an additional second-floor work area even though the parcel is one parking space short of the city's D Commercial zoning requirement. The board's decision followed testimony from city staff, the property owner and the project architect about existing parking arrangements and the configuration of the lot.
Elliot Liebson, director of planning and development for the city of Webster Groves, told the board the property's code-required allotment for the second-floor office use is 19 spaces; the site currently has 18 spaces that the parties count toward compliance. Liebson said the property has "18 parking spaces, including some spaces on the east side that are actually sitting for the property next door," and that the owners are therefore asking for relief from one required stall.
Tracy Collins, representing the applicant as project architect with Formwork Architecture, said the business needs to convert the large attic volume into usable second-floor rooms to relieve cramped conditions on the main floor. "Within the property lines of this parcel, there's currently 0 parking spots that are code compliant," Collins said, explaining some on-site stalls encroach property lines and others are held by agreement with adjacent owners. She estimated the new usable area at roughly 2,000 square feet and said the expansion is intended to reconfigure workspace for existing employees rather than add staff.
Owner John Travers, who said he leases several spaces in a nearby lot, told the board the leased spaces and the way employees use the site mean "there is not a problem with parking." Developer and former owner Jeff Bender and nearby tenant Dr. Robert Butler spoke in support of the application, with Bender saying stopping the plan over one space would be damaging to downtown investment.
Board members asked about the durability of off-site leasing arrangements and the possibility that the railroad or a third party could remove some of the spaces the applicant counts. Staff advised that the board may count leased or otherwise legally available stalls toward required parking but that if those agreements end the property owner would be responsible for compliance.
After discussion the board approved a motion to reduce the required parking by one space. The approval is tied to the property and will remain unless the site remains unused for a year or a future tenant requires a different parking calculation.
What happens next: City staff told the applicant to coordinate with planning staff during regular business hours for permit and compliance steps.
