Mayor Breaks Tie, Allows Glenhurst Site Plan Changes

With the vote tied three to three, Mayor Nick Guccione cast the deciding vote in favor of a site plan that allows McBride Homes to build houses in Glenhurst subdivision that are below the city's usual square-footage requirements.

The subdivision, just east of South Point Prairie Road, originally had 300 lots approved. McBride is purchasing 90 vacant lots. 

"We want to offer a wider variety of options," McBride rep Jeannie Aumiller said. Those options include a ranch home and some plans with one-car garages. Aumiller said that they would only offer the one-car garages on half the lots.

Aumiller said that McBride will offer some alternatives, like masonry on the fronts, that will help raise property values in the neighborhood.

Several aldermen were not happy with the prospect of deviating from the city's requirement of a minimum size of 1,800 square feet for a two-story home.

Alderman Cheryl Kross said that she would not support one-car garages or anything less than 1,200 square feet.

Alderman Forrest Gossett said he was torn over the issue, mainly because he had heard no outcry from the subdivision's residents about the change and because he wanted to see the vacant lots developed.

Alderman Rick Stokes thanked Aumiller for opportunities her company had given for residents to voice any concerns. 

"What’s going to get this community going?" he said. "This offers a very good change."

"There’s nothing happening out there," Alderman Chris Gard said. "There’s been no opportunity to develop this subdivision until now. People have been living next to empty lots as long as I’ve been living in Wentzville."

Stokes, Gard and Gossett voted to allow the exceptions. Kross, together with Aldermen Mike Hays and Sonya Shryock, voted no.