Dardenne Prairie council approves Prairie Encore PUD amendment after public hearing on proposed Prairie Ridge veterinary clinic

A public hearing on a conditional use permit and site plan for a proposed Prairie Ridge Animal Hospital drew presentations from the developer and veterinarians before the Board of Aldermen of Dardenne Prairie.

Will Shine, representing Prairie Ridge Animal Hospital, told the council the clinic would sit on Lot 6 of the Prairie Encore and occupy a 1.6‑acre parcel. He said the proposal includes an 8,200‑square‑foot veterinary clinic with 28 dedicated parking spaces and 38 shared spaces with adjacent apartments, landscaped buffers and photometrics the applicant said meet city requirements.

Colin of Baumann Architects described exterior treatments and compatibility with surrounding buildings. Owner Ryan McCann said the clinic would employ an estimated 35–40 people, paid between about $25 and $150 an hour, and projected annual revenues of roughly $8–$10 million. McCann told the council he had invested his life savings in the project and was under a timeline tied to a land purchase and a 1031 exchange, which he said created urgency for council action: “I’ve got way too much money invested.”

Council members asked operational questions, including whether the building would provide overnight boarding; McCann said it would not, describing only daytime holding for surgical patients.

Separately, the council took a second reading and vote on Bill 24‑47, an ordinance described in the meeting as approving a third‑amended PUD area plan for a development commonly called the Prairie Encore. The second reading was prompted by a prior postponement caused, council members said, by a city technical misfiling. The ordinance was read a second time and the council took a roll‑call that the transcript records as members responding "Aye"; the clerk confirmed the ordinance number. The transcript does not include a full, itemized roll‑call tally by name.

Following adoption of the PUD amendment, the council moved to postpone Bill 24‑48 indefinitely on the grounds that approval of the area plan made the secondary use review unnecessary.

Council discussion included procedural fairness: one attendee opposed changing rules for applicants who had previously sought exceptions, while other members said the earlier delay had resulted from the city’s misfiling and merited consideration. The chair called the public hearing on the animal hospital closed after the discussion.

What's next: The PUD amendment for Prairie Encore is adopted by the council per the meeting record; the transcript indicates related secondary review (Bill 24‑48) was postponed indefinitely. The record does not show a separately numbered ordinance or vote explicitly labeled "CUP approved" for the Prairie Ridge Animal Hospital in the segments provided.