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Creve Coeur holds first reading on EV-charging zoning changes; sets standards for Level 1–3 stations
Summary
City staff presented a zoning text amendment to define EV charging, allow Level 1–2 chargers as accessory uses in nonresidential districts with staff approval, require site-plan review or conditional-use permits for Level 3/DC fast chargers, and set parking-space percentages (3% office/commercial, 5% multifamily) and exemptions for churches and nonprofits.
Jason Geiger, director of community development, presented the first reading of Bill 6150 on Jan. 6, proposing multiple amendments to Creve Coeur’s zoning code to regulate electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
Geiger said the ordinance would add definitions for EV charging terms, establish standards and a review process by charger level, and treat Level 1 and 2 chargers as accessory uses in nonresidential zoning districts that may be approved administratively by staff. He told the council that standalone Level 3/DC fast-charging facilities would require site-plan review and a conditional-use process similar to gas stations because of their scale and visual impacts.
The draft ordinance includes requirements intended to limit visual impacts and preserve circulation: chargers should be located within parking lots or structures serving a principal use, not block fire lanes, and should not be placed within 10 feet of a front-yard setback along the street. Level 3/DCFC stations would be subject to landscaping, lighting and site-coverage requirements; equipment would be included in site coverage calculations.
The text also proposes EV-ready infrastructure requirements for new developments and substantial renovations. Geiger said staff proposes requiring 3% of required parking spaces (minimum 1) for office, light-industrial and commercial uses and 5% for multifamily projects; property owners may provide chargers or only build conduit/electrical capacity at their discretion. Churches and nonprofits would be exempted from these requirements.
Council members asked about signage standards, rounding rules when calculations produce fractions of a space, whether chargers must be open to the public, solar power for charging, and fire department oversight. Geiger said signage examples could be provided, the ordinance proposes rounding to the nearest whole number, chargers can be private for employees or residents (they do not have to be public), and larger electrical permitting would be handled by St. Louis County. He said the market for EV deployment has slowed from earlier expectations but that enabling standards are needed.
Because this was a first reading, the council did not adopt the ordinance; Geiger said the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval at its recent meeting and the council will take further action at a second reading at the Jan. 13 meeting.
