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Developer proposes 21 small commercial suites at 219 Meramec; board asks for technical clarifications
Summary
An application to turn a 5,530 sq ft former bank at 219 Meramec Avenue into 20–21 small rentable 'personal service' units drew questions about egress, occupancy and plumbing; the board closed the hearing and asked the applicant to clarify occupancy loads, plumbing plans and allowed uses.
The Zoning Board of Appeals heard a detailed presentation from Jonathan Balani on a proposal to convert the former bank at 219 Meramec Avenue into roughly 20–21 small commercial suites for ‘personal service’ and office uses. The applicant said the gross area is about 5,530 square feet and that the design includes partitions up to the dropped ceiling and shared bathrooms and mechanical spaces.
Board members focused on code implications: how the application defines “personal service,” whether sinks and plumbing will be provided in individual units, how occupancy loads and egress widths were calculated, and which uses will require additional special permits (for example, massage or food-related operations). The applicant said an egress plan and occupancy-load calculations were included in the submission and that mechanical ventilation (an ERV system) and fire/egress systems are on the plans.
Because some uses that could be proposed later would trigger additional regulatory review, the board asked counsel and staff to ensure lease language and future change-of-occupancy procedures would require the owner to return for approvals where needed. The board closed the public hearing and will consider the matter after receiving clarifying documentation on plumbing hookups, occupancy assumptions and a list of permitted uses for the units.
What happens next: The applicant will provide the clarified floor-plan and egress/occupancy calculations for building and fire review, and the board will add any necessary permit conditions in its resolution.
