Plan Commission approves amendment to detach 306 West Lockwood from Ordinance 88-67, clearing path for separate development review

The Webster Groves Plan Commission voted 8-0 on March 2, 2026, to approve an amendment to Ordinance 88-67 that removes 306 West Lockwood Avenue from the ordinance governing 231 West Lockwood Avenue, a change proponents said will allow the two parcels to be reviewed and developed independently.

The amendment, filed as application 26 PC 02306 by McCollum Group LLC, was described by planning staff as a narrow, first step: removing the parking and use linkage so 306 is no longer encumbered by the rules tied to 231. ‘‘The purpose of this is to remove 306 from this ordinance,’’ the presenter said, adding that any future development of 306 would require its own planned-commercial ordinance and separate review.

Michelle Leone, chief executive officer of McAllen Place at 231 West Lockwood, urged the commission to classify McAllen Place as a residential care facility for zoning and parking purposes, noting that most residents are dropped off or do not drive. ‘‘We have more than enough parking spaces,’’ Leone said, saying the lot’s current use generates mostly staff parking needs rather than additional visitor-driven demand.

TJ Redmond, who identified himself as an owner of 306 West Lockwood, said the recent purchase of the parking lot prompted the request: removing the lot from the ordinance would give the owners flexibility to consider future options for the property. ‘‘We recently bought the parking lot, less than a year ago, and in its current state, they don't use it,’’ Redmond said.

Planning staff (John Wagner, planning and development director) and the applicant's representative explained that under the 2015 ordinance the two parcels had been linked for parking and use calculations. Staff said the site currently has 77 on-site spaces and 43 off-site on-street stalls the ordinance counts toward the total, which creates an effective 120-space allotment; the parking table in the ordinance would require 93 spaces for the uses as amended, leaving a buffer under current counts.

Commissioners asked several detailed operational questions, including how off-street and on-street stalls were counted, how evening restaurant demand might affect availability, and whether broader changes to the ordinance should tie parking to square footage. Staff cautioned that enforcement typically occurs when issues arise and that exact square-foot thresholds can be difficult to administer outside a formal application review.

A commissioner moved to approve the staff-prepared adjustments to the ordinance. After a voice roll call, the motion passed with eight votes in favor, none opposed; one member (Grace) was recorded as absent. The commission’s recommendation now goes to the Webster Groves City Council, which will conduct its own hearing and must enact an ordinance before any change becomes final.

The commission also removed language in the existing ordinance that would have required underground electrical service for 306; staff explained that any new planned-commercial ordinance created for 306 later could include electrical-service requirements if appropriate.

The action was procedural in that it does not itself approve any new development on 306; instead it detaches the parcel from the current regulatory linkage so a separate development application can be pursued and evaluated on its own merits. The council is expected to take up the commission’s recommendation at an upcoming meeting.