Board hears plan for USDA food-processing tenant at 2000 N. Commercial; staff recommends approval with conditions

City staff opened a public hearing on a special-use permit to allow packaging, processing and warehousing at 2000 North Commercial Street and recommended the Board of Aldermen approve the preliminary development plan with four conditions and a 30-year special-use term.

Christina Stanton, community development director, told the board the applicants propose to renovate the existing building into “a state of the art USDA food processing facility” that would not include slaughter but would include raw trimming, marinating, cooking and packaging, with some retail rubs and sauces anticipated. Stanton said required changes include moving a water meter to the outside and that staff supports a requested modification to the city’s four-sided architecture standard for the north and east elevations because those sides are largely screened by vegetation.

Stanton said the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval by a 6–0 vote and that staff’s recommended conditions are: all exterior lighting comply with the municipal code; the site meet or exceed landscaping and screening requirements; a modification to the four-sided architecture requirement to allow metal panel and canopy elements only on the front (south and west) façades; and that the special-use permit term be 30 years, after which a new permit would be required.

Doug Henslick, a member of the development team, described the project as costly and state-of-the-art and said the initial staffing would be about 35 employees with a modest increase over 5–10 years; he also said truck movements are expected to be small — “only 1 to possibly 2 trucks during a 24 hour period.” The applicant confirmed the facility could produce noticeable barbecue odors from smokers and said retail sales are being discussed but are not finalized.

No members of the public registered opposition during the hearing, and the board set the item for second reading at its Nov. 3 meeting rather than taking final action at this session.

The project would sit in a C-2 Service Business District within the city’s 2040 comprehensive plan regional commercial designation and is located inside the Missouri 291 Transportation Development District, which collects an extra 1% sales tax to fund transportation improvements.

The board did not adopt the ordinance at first reading; members and staff said they will return the item for a second reading and final vote on Nov. 3.