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Florissant council hears public hearing on rezoning former St. Rose property to allow nonprofit offices
Summary
The council heard from Father Bill Kempf and a resident on a petition to rezone 1210–1220 Paddock Drive and 2650 Parker Road from R-4 to B-5 to allow nonprofit organizations to lease space; supporters said the change prevents vacancy while a resident warned it could amount to spot zoning. The public hearing closed and the rezoning ordinance was introduced for first reading.
A public hearing on April 28 drew testimony about a proposal to rezone three city parcels at the corner of Paddock and Parker from R-4 single-family to B-5 planned commercial.
Father Bill Kempf, pastor at Sacred Heart in Florissant, told the City Council he seeks the change to allow neighborhood-serving nonprofit organizations to lease buildings at the former St. Rose Philippine Duchesne site rather than repeatedly apply for special-use permits. He named two prospective tenants — Jidasa (Journey Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse) and St. Joseph the Worker, a Catholic counseling group — and said there would be no overnight stays. Kempf said planned work is limited to interior and cosmetic upgrades so the buildings are maintained and do not become vacant.
Council members asked for operational details. Councilman Caputo asked whether major construction or demolition was planned; Kempf said only interior and cosmetic changes are anticipated. Councilman O'Donnell and others clarified the proposal would allow organizations to occupy office-type space and not residential units.
Mary Carol Doyle, a Florissant resident, said she supports parish outreach but raised the possibility that the proposal constitutes spot zoning. She asked whether a future sale by the archdiocese could allow different uses, whether rezoning would restrict or permit new commercial development on neighborhood streets such as Paddock and Parker, and whether counseling uses might be allowed under existing residential zoning because churches and schools are permitted uses. Staff and council members responded that the B-5 designation lists allowed uses and that typical parking arrangements (for example, Parker Road School’s annual use of the parking area) would need to be addressed through applicable agreements.
The public hearing was closed by motion after no further public comment. Later in the meeting the council introduced Bill No. 10068 to authorize rezoning the listed properties for first reading; the transcript does not show a final vote on that ordinance the same night.
The next procedural steps recorded in the meeting were the formal introduction of Bill No. 10068 for first reading; no ordinance number or final adoption for that rezoning item was recorded in the transcript on April 28.
