If you’ve been wondering what happened to the proposed condominium development around the former Auffenberg dealership on North Kirkwood Road, there’s an update. The original rezoning proposal did not ultimately move forward, but the developer behind it says the condominium plans are not going away.
I spoke with Lorenzo Debrecht of Debrecht Properties, who told me the company expects to resubmit, although he would not give me a specific date. Debrecht said controversy surrounding the design contributed to the decision to pull back. He said the company is working with the City toward a condominium development that better fits the existing feel of Kirkwood and that getting the final product right for the broader community is more important than rushing the process.
He also said the next submission is intended to be more specific, giving the City a clearer understanding of what is actually being proposed and something more concrete to evaluate. That point is particularly interesting when you look at how the original proposal moved through Kirkwood’s zoning process.
The applications involved 12 properties around the former dealership on North Kirkwood Road, Maple Avenue and Sarah Avenue. Some are zoned B-3 Highway Business and others R-4 Single-Family Residential. Debrecht sought to have all 12 rezoned to R-5 Multifamily Residential, but at the time there was no submitted site plan.
City staff calculated that the three areas included in the rezoning requests could accommodate up to 26, 12 and 29 dwelling units under R-5 zoning, or as many as 67 units total. That was the maximum density calculated under the requested zoning, not a final proposed unit count. The developer had provided information about what it envisioned, and its architect explained that R-5 was selected in part because of building height, setbacks and density, as well as the ability to keep the development residential rather than introduce additional commercial uses.
Planning & Zoning wasn’t being asked to approve a finished condominium development. The question before the commission was whether multifamily residential was an appropriate zoning designation for the properties. City staff explained that if the properties were rezoned R-5, multifamily housing would be a permitted use. A subsequent site plan meeting City requirements could be reviewed administratively and would not necessarily return to Planning & Zoning or City Council unless the developer sought modifications to code requirements or pursued a use requiring additional approval.
Some nearby residents raised concerns about proceeding with the zoning change before those details were available. Elizabeth Shands specifically noted the absence of a submitted site plan and questioned whether neighbors would have an opportunity for input during the later site-plan review. She also raised concerns about the construction timeline, removal of five houses and loss of trees. Other residents raised questions about traffic on Sarah, Maple, Taylor and Clay avenues, the transition between multifamily and existing single-family properties, trees and buffers, stormwater and the possible effect of underground parking on the water table.
The public comments were not uniformly opposed to multifamily development. Becky Bopp told the commission she was not opposed to the proposed multifamily project but emphasized protecting the surrounding neighborhood. She referenced a previous nearby redevelopment where she believed communication between the developer and residents had produced a positive result.
The developer’s architect, Tyler Stephens of Core10 Architecture, told Planning & Zoning that the development team had been talking with neighbors through the review process. He also addressed traffic and stormwater concerns and noted that driveway locations could change depending on the results of a required traffic study.
Planning & Zoning ultimately recommended approval of each of the three rezoning applications by an 8-1 vote. Commissioner Darrell Scott cast the dissenting vote on all three. Earlier in the discussion, Scott had raised concern about the potential loss of future sales-tax revenue if commercially zoned property became residential. City staff explained that the commission’s review was based on the City’s future land-use plans and zoning criteria rather than potential tax revenue.
The three rezoning bills then reached City Council. On September 3, the Council continued consideration of all three to its September 17 meeting rather than approving or rejecting them. Debrecht told me the company ultimately pulled back from the proposal amid controversy over the design and intends to return with a more specific submission.
There is no new site plan available yet, no confirmed unit count and no announced date for another application. Debrecht did not tell me precisely what will change from the earlier concept, but he did confirm that Debrecht Properties still intends to pursue condominium development on the site and plans to provide more specific information when it returns to the City.
For anyone following the future of this highly visible Kirkwood property, that’s where the story stands. The earlier proposal did not move forward, but the condominium plans have not gone away. The next submission should give Kirkwood a clearer picture of exactly what Debrecht hopes to build there.
Karen Moeller
STLKaren.com
Karen.McNeill@STLRE.com
314.678.7866
About the Author:
Karen Moeller is a St. Louis area REALTOR® with MORE, REALTORS® and a regular contributor to St. Louis Real Estate News, helping clients make informed, data-driven decisions.
