250 Commerce Ave: A Test for R-MM

Update:

The rezoning of 250 Commerce failed its first reading before city council last week and seems to have little hope of moving forward in the near term. There’s more work to do.

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Original Story

On Thursday night, Kirkwood’s newest zoning distinction began its first real test. The R-MM zone (Residential-Missing Middle) created last year, was meant to bridge the gap between the apartment buildings concentrated in Downtown Kirkwood and the single family homes that dominate everywhere else. The R-MM zone allows up to 6-unit apartment buildings to be constructed or 8-unit townhomes while permitting heights up to 35 feet tall spread over a maximum of three stories. However, instead of designating specific lots to be converted to this R-MM zoning, the new code stipulates that property owners will instead have to apply to have their lots re-zoned on an individual basis. These applications will then be reviewed by the P&Z commission and voted on by City Council.

While up-zoning on a lot-by-lot basis is far from ideal (certainty facilitates investment in real estate just as it does in every other industry), given the recent setback suffered by Webster when they attempted to eliminate single-family zoning, perhaps this inefficient method is the best we can hope for for now. Until we’ve convinced more people on the merits.

250 Commerce Ave

The owner of 250 Commerce Ave (currently zoned R-4, single family) has applied for up-zoning via this new R-MM designation and on Thursday night received its Public Hearing. A full Council vote to approve or deny the application will follow in the coming weeks. The relative likelihood of those two results, is legitimately hard to determine. While the Panning and Zoning Commission gave its unanimous recommendation of the project, the property by no means is a perfect fit based on the code as-written. Located in the northern half of Meacham Park, is is in close proximity to the most extensive stretch of duplexes in Kirkwood and a significant commercial district but the context is distinctly residential. If we can get this application through, it would lead me to believe that City Council really is serious about using R-MM to add to Kirkwood’s housing stock with a flood of applicants potentially to follow.

Because the application is strictly for a re-zoning rather than a specific development, it is not yet clear what the owner’s intentions are. It could be the case that they plan on developing the project themselves, or alternatively they could simply be attempting to increase the value of their property before selling to someone that would be better suited to exploit the more permissive designation.

Could the project get even bigger?

Approving a re-zoning for 250 Commerce Ave would be a fantastic start, but there are some indications that something even bigger is in the works. When I first noticed action on this lot last June, 250 Commerce was being advertised in conjunction with its next door neighbor, 256 Commerce Ave as a multi-family development opportunity. While at the time single family homes were the only thing permitted on each, the current application could make the flyer much more accurate. If this is simply a trial balloon being floated while the owners have a larger project in mind, this small win could transform into a massive boon. While projects like The James steal all the headlines, twelve units (or sixteen!) on two lots is the route to a more accessible Kirkwood.

Connectivity of Meacham Park

This project, and the subsequent development that can be expected should, in an ideal scenario, serve as a jumping off point for another policy issue: that of the connectivity of Meacham Park to the rest of Kirkwood. While the site is reasonably well connected for cars (both Chester Ave and Fillmore spill out onto main thoroughfares), the walkability is sorely lacking.

It is my hope that City Council will give strong consideration to a Fillmore Ave rail-crossing that would do much to connect the oft-overlooked Meacham Park to Nipher Middle School and Downtown Kirkwood beyond that. Connecting Meacham to Downtown means connecting it to the vast majority of Kirkwood’s amenities, to its City Council hearings and public events. It makes Meacham safer and healthier and even could one day help to connect the neighborhood to a potential Grant’s Trail extension. More than anything though, it would serve as investment in a part of our community that we’ve neglected and isolated for far too long. In fact I guess that’s what this whole story is about: Will we allow investment in Meacham or will we keep standing in the way?