Planning commission recommends approval of Ballast Dental site plan, sends boundary adjustment to council

On Oct. 20, 2025, the Creve Coeur Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend approval of a site concept plan and site development plan for Ballast Dental at 11647 Stutt Avenue and approved a related boundary adjustment, forwarding both items to the City Council with a positive recommendation.

The applicant, represented by Elliot Reed of Cochran Engineering, described an 8,700-square-foot, single-story dental office with 65 surface parking spaces (36 required under the zoning code) and two EV‑ready parking stalls. The primary access will be from Stutt Avenue; the project design shows additional frontage on Ham and Will streets. Reed said the site is “tight” and that most existing mature trees on the lot will be removed, with new street trees and landscaping proposed to meet city requirements.

City planner Bethany Moore told the commission the property is in the Core Business (CB) zoning district. The proposed building meets the district’s placement and setback rules, including the requirement derived from section 405370(e) that, for parcels south of Olive Boulevard, at least 50% of a building elevation parallel to the street must be located no more than 15 feet from the right of way. Moore said the plan shows 58% total site coverage (the district maximum is 63%) and noted the photometric plan shows downcast lighting with mount heights of 23 feet, under the 24-foot limit for nonresidential districts. Materials shown on the elevations include a lighter neutral brick and dark fiber‑cement corner panels; the parapet is tall enough to screen rooftop mechanical equipment.

Moore and staff recommended several conditions of approval. Staff asked the applicant to provide a final landscaping plan showing the square footage of planting islands, a five-foot landscaping strip where the parking lot abuts adjacent property, and additional plantings in front of a retaining wall. Moore also corrected an earlier staff report error about easement widths: the public roadway and sidewalk easement along the subject frontage is 12 feet (not 24 feet as previously listed). She described three easements to be recorded: a 16-foot public access easement on Ham Avenue, a 24-foot easement aligning with an adjacent Jaguar property, and the corrected 12-foot frontage easement.

On stormwater, the applicant said storm runoff will be piped underground and that they completed a conceptual review with MSD (Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District) but have not submitted final permit applications. ADA access and trash enclosure locations will be reviewed at the building permit stage; the trash enclosure is shown at the rear of the lot and will use materials matching the building.

Several nearby residents spoke during public comment. Ruth Marner, who lives in the nearby Loballas condominiums, objected to what she described as the likely removal of many mature trees and said the small green area is an important recreational respite for local residents. Craig Morrison, also a condominium resident, echoed concerns about tree loss and said he worried about traffic impacts and emergency vehicle access given the site’s small size. A commissioner asked whether a traffic study had been performed; staff replied the project did not meet the city’s parameters requiring a formal traffic study and that the use is permitted under the zoning code. Ballast Dental representative William Haines said the practice currently operates at Clayton and Ballas roads and is proposing a relocation to the new building.

A motion to approve the boundary adjustment for application 25‑029, subject to preparing a final plat that includes the easements shown on the site concept/site development plan, was moved, seconded and approved by the commission. A separate motion to recommend approval of the site concept plan and site development plan for application 25‑030, subject to the staff conditions and the corrected easement language, was also moved, seconded and approved. Moore said both items will be forwarded to City Council with a positive recommendation; the council hearing was announced for 7 p.m. next Monday in this same room.

Permits and next steps noted by staff include submission of a final landscaping plan, final plat for recording, building permit review (including ADA and trash enclosure details), and MSD final stormwater permitting. The commission’s recommendations do not themselves authorize construction; City Council action and required permits remain outstanding.