The Forest Park Mayor and Council on Jan. 6 voted to deny Conditional Use Permit 2024‑4 and to approve a set of zoning text amendments after a series of five public hearings.

On the first public hearing, the council moved to accept staff’s recommendation to deny Conditional Use Permit 2024‑4, an application to open and operate a place of worship within the Institutional Commercial district. The motion to accept staff’s recommendation to deny was moved by Councilwoman James and seconded by Councilman Mears. Miss Hood recorded affirmative roll‑call responses from council members present; the motion carried and the conditional‑use permit was denied.

During the meeting the council opened and closed five public hearings in sequence. For text amendments described in the agenda as 2024‑06 and 2024‑07 (amendments to Article B, zoning districts and design guidelines — Gillum District and Urban Village District) and for text amendments 2024‑09, 2024‑10 and 2024‑11, the council opened each hearing, received no public testimony (the chair noted no speakers), closed the hearings and then voted to approve the amendments. Motions to approve were moved and seconded and were approved by roll call.

Several motions were introduced and recorded by the city clerk as unanimous among the councilmembers present; no amendments to the proposed text changes were recorded during the meeting and no members of the public spoke for or against the items at the hearings.

Council took those zoning actions during the meeting’s public‑hearing portion and did not request further study or referral; the items were approved as presented.

Votes at a glance
• Conditional Use Permit 2024‑4 — Motion to accept staff recommendation to deny; moved by Councilwoman James, seconded by Councilman Mears; outcome: denial approved by roll call.
• Text Amendment 2024‑06 & 2024‑07 — Motion to approve; outcome: approved by roll call.
• Text Amendment 2024‑09 — Motion to approve; outcome: approved by roll call.
• Text Amendment 2024‑10 — Motion to approve; outcome: approved by roll call.
• Text Amendment 2024‑11 — Motion to approve; outcome: approved by roll call.

No legal challenges, appeals or referral to planning commission were announced during the meeting. Council members asked no substantive follow‑up questions on the record and there were no public speakers during the hearings.