Oakville HUD Housing To Go Back to Zoning, Stenger's Resolution Passes

Voting five ayes, one no and one abstain, the St. Louis County Council on Tuesday agreed with Sixth District Councilman Steve Stenger that Oakville residents deserve to be heard.

Construction on a three-story HUD senior housing building will stop for now while the project goes back to St. Louis County planing and zoning. 

Oakville residents say it’s too close to the Goddard School, and also that they weren’t notified of the rezoning hearing over a year ago that made the project possible.

Approximately 20 residents spoke to the council and all were for Stenger's resolution, and against the HUD housing.

Peter Clark, representing the Monastery of St Clare nuns, to the east of the property, said they were never notified.

“Despite what you’ve heard, they were never notified about anything,” he said. “This is unusual because we’ve always been notified before for all the development.”

Before voting, District 2 Councilwoman Hazel Erby said she was confused how only two cards out of 611 sent could have been received.

Stenger said the whole notification procedure broke down. “The notice was placed parallel to the road, on a road that traffic speeds by,” he said.

“It’s an outdated procedure. It’s 2013 and we’re posting a sign,” he said. He said he realizes not everyone has Internet or email, but the process needs to be examined.

“We live in the age of Facebook and Twitter,” 19-year-old Miles Larson said. “I believe it is the government’s responsibility to inform about the issues in the way that will inform the most people.”

District 2 Councilwoman Kathleen Burkett cast the one no vote. Erby abstained.

“We can’t go back and change the rules,” Burkett said before her vote. She said a yes vote might feel good that night but it wasn’t right.

Goddard School owner Cindy Pyatt said everyone was concerned about the size of the project. She also wants to protect the children at the school. “That’s what we were here for. Parents entrust that in us every day, and we want to be able to give that back.”

State Rep. Marsha Haefner said she now has faith in the county government. “It’s one step in a very long journey. For four weeks I’ve been saying just give us a chance. It’s all we’ve asked for.”