Wildwood board approves retaining wall on Strecker Road with visible-height, color limits

The City of Wildwood Board of Adjustment voted 4–1 on June 19 to approve a variance allowing a new concrete-block retaining wall up to 8 feet in structural height along Strecker Road, with conditions that the visible portion above the sidewalk be no more than 6.5 feet and the wall finish match the neighborhood color palette (described by the petitioner as a taupe/black tone). The board also required the top of the wall be level across its length.

The petition—filed for 244 Timber Meadow Drive (Timber Ridge Estates, Ward 4) under BA10-25—requested a retaining wall 167 feet long with a maximum structural height of 8 feet and a black aluminum fence to be located nearly at the sidewalk, which would require zero-foot setbacks in place of the zoning-required 20-foot front setback and 8-foot side setback. The Department of Planning and the Department of Public Works reviewed materials and initially recommended against the 8-foot structural height, saying code allows walls 6 feet or less to be built to the property line without a variance and that alternatives exist. After additional discussion the department offered conditions the board could adopt to limit the visible height measured from the public sidewalk and to require a complementary finish.

Contractor Zach Weyhart of STL Hardscape Solutions testified that the site is eroding and that the engineered wall—including an embedded base, angular aggregate backfill and perforated drainage outlets every 25 feet—was designed to slow runoff and stabilize the slope. Weyhart said he designed 18 inches of embedment and that some segments will be 24 inches embedment; he urged the board that reducing the structure a few inches would undermine the engineered drainage stability. “A lot of that wall ... is a massive French drain,” Weyhart said, describing the aggregate backfill and outlets intended to slow and disperse runoff rather than concentrate it in one location.

Neighbor Jamie Corwin, the property owner directly to the north, spoke online and urged a dark finish and asked that visible height be limited. Planning staff and the public works review noted that the petitioner’s engineer had submitted cross-sections showing top-of-wall and bottom-of-wall elevations that in places measured 8 feet from bottom to top; the code treats the structure this way for permit and safety review. Department staff explained that, while the structural height is 8 feet in some segments, the visible amount above sidewalk grade would be much less in many locations depending on embedment and sidewalk elevation.

Board member Michael Lee voted no, citing lack of demonstrated hardship because a 6-foot wall would achieve substantial erosion control without requiring a variance. Vice Chair Arnie Sprunger made a motion to approve with conditions limiting the visible height to 6.5 feet above the lowest top-of-sidewalk elevation, requiring a level top-of-wall and specifying a taupe/black finish to match neighboring fence tones. The motion passed 4–1 (Sprunger, Bob Morris, Anthony Reiner, Jared Frank in favor; Michael Lee opposed).

The board’s action allows the applicant to proceed subject to the stated conditions; the city will rely on the engineer’s stamped drawings for structural review and the conditions tying visible height to the public sidewalk grade for enforceable finish-height compliance. Department staff advised the applicant to coordinate final engineering details and erosion controls with the Department of Public Works prior to permit issuance.