Creve Coeur planning commission continues Elks Lodge expansion hearing after neighbors raise noise and light concerns

The Creve Coeur Planning and Zoning Commission on Sept. 16 continued a public hearing on a request from Saint Louis Elks Lodge No. 9 to amend its conditional use permit and site development plan at 12481 Ladue Road, after neighbors and commissioners flagged outstanding questions about noise, lighting and screening.

George Stock of Stock and Associates Consulting Engineers, representing the lodge, described the project as a 1,947-square-foot single-story addition, new outdoor seating and about 28 additional parking spaces on a site Stock said is “approximately, 5.76 acres. It’s been there since 1965.” He said the change would raise site coverage from roughly 26.6% to about 28.9%, below the 40% the city’s ordinance allows for institutional uses.

City planner Bethany Moore told the commission the lodge has operated since the 1960s under a continuation provision (identified in the staff presentation as section 405210a2) and only must now seek a conditional use permit because the application adds building area and parking. Moore outlined staff-recommended conditions including a final landscaping plan, shielded and downcast lighting in conformance with section 405680, limits on amplified/outdoor music after 9 p.m., and trash pickup in accordance with section 23 235.7.

Neighbors urged stricter mitigation. Ken Kleban, trustee of a nearby subdivision, said his community supports many elements of the plan but pressed for a fence that runs the entire west property line and more landscaping: “We want more protection from light. We want more protection from sound,” he said. Kleban also said portions of the current plan appeared to contradict negotiated elements of a 2018 scheme and asked that any approval reflect mutual agreements with neighbors.

Michael Schnettler, an Elks Lodge trustee, said the lodge conducted outreach beginning in May and distributed notices but that only a small number of neighbors attended: “We made a extensive effort to reach out,” he said, and described the organization as a not-for-profit with limited budgetary resources.

Commissioners and staff discussed options to reduce the patio’s encroachment into the buffer area, placement and height of screening, the practicality of extending a fence where trees and utilities are present and whether irrigation and speaker orientation should be required. Staff said a combination of a 4-foot masonry pony wall near seating areas and a 6-foot vinyl fence was proposed to improve privacy and limit light intrusion while noting that fences and plantings offer limited sound attenuation.

Given remaining questions about the exact fence placement, landscaping details and technical lighting changes, the commission voted to continue the hearing to the commission’s Oct. 21 meeting to allow additional coordination with neighbors and updated submittals.

What’s next: The Elks Lodge application will return to the Planning and Zoning Commission on Oct. 21 with additional documentation and any revised mitigation measures the applicant provides in response to neighbors’ concerns.