Planning commission approves Plaza Shops plan to remove failing fountains and add planters and seating

The Creve Coeur Planning & Zoning Commission voted Nov. 18 to recommend approval of a minor site development plan for the Plaza Shops at 701 North New Ballas Road to remove three deteriorating fountains and install raised decorative planters, enlarged planting beds and black wrought‑iron benches.

Applicant Lindsay Strautman, an associate principal at Vessel Architecture and Design, told the commission the fountains are crumbling and no longer hold water, creating trip hazards and plumbing problems. Strautman said the proposal replaces the fountain basins with large planters and four benches oriented toward central planting areas, and that the planters will include irrigation systems to maintain plantings.

City planner Bethany Moore reminded the commission the original fountains had been counted as a site‑coverage bonus under earlier approvals. Moore said the proposed changes would not increase site coverage for the lot and are consistent with the city’s design guidelines promoting accessible, street‑visible plaza amenities.

Commissioners asked for clearer language tying landscaping maintenance to the approval; staff pointed out the landscaping and irrigation are included in the submitted plan and proposed a condition requiring continued maintenance. A commissioner moved to recommend approval conditioned on the staff report and an explicit maintenance requirement; the motion passed by voice vote.

The commission’s action is a recommendation; applicants must file the final site development paperwork and satisfy the conditions in staff’s report before permits are issued.