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Council approves Oakshire rezoning over residents’ objections; annexation and density concerns raised
Summary
The St. Charles County Council approved Bill 53-85 to rezone a property from agricultural to R-3A (medium density). Residents and Citizens for Smart Growth argued the change conflicts with the county master plan and raised annexation and statutory concerns; the bill passed on roll call.
The St. Charles County Council approved Bill 53-85 on May 27, 2025, an ordinance rezoning a parcel from agricultural to R-3A (medium-density residential) per application RZ25-02 despite objections from nearby residents and a local advocacy group.
Residents and other commenters said the site — described as adjacent to Highway N and Dyer Road in materials presented at the meeting — is shown in county planning maps as R-1A (lower-density single-family) under the county master plan and that the proposed development’s density exceeds the master-plan recommendation. “The area of interest ... is shown ... as R-1A limited to a maximum of 4 homes per acre, and of course, the development is at 4.6,” William Carrier of Citizens for Smart Growth told the council.
Why it matters: opponents argued the rezoning will increase pressure on local infrastructure and said it departs from the county’s future-land-use guidance; they also raised questions about the potential for municipal annexation by the City of O'Fallon and whether that possibility was being used to justify the rezoning.
Annexation concerns: William Carrier and other commenters discussed Missouri annexation statutes and whether O'Fallon could gain contiguity for annexation through roadway rights-of-way; they cited specific statute numbers in that context. County staff said there was no annexation proposal before them and that staff do not investigate hypothetical annexation without a formal request.
Council action: after public comment the council read the ordinance for final passage and took a roll-call vote; several council members voted yes and the ordinance passed as Bill 53-85.
No amendment or additional conditions were attached at the final passage. The record shows county staff had recommended rezoning action per the application; opponents said they would continue to press legal and planning arguments after the approval.
