Manchester Road is the chicken and the egg problem at a Kirkwood-sized scale. New developments are built as auto-centric and car oriented because Manchester accommodates nothing else, and the Manchester corridor accommodates nothing else because everything that is built along it is built in an auto-centric way. If Manchester is to ever improve, if the cycle of auto-oriented design begetting auto-oriented design is to ever stop feeding back on itself, the powers that be must pick some development to make a stand and start demanding more. Time to see if now is that time.
New Developments, Same Story …So Far
Three new developments along Manchester are currently working their way through the city’s approval process. Both are auto oriented, neither does much but re-hashes the kinds of uses that are already prevalent along the road. Let’s take a look.
Schnucks
This is the least significant of the new developments along Manchester but it’s on tonight’s City Council agenda and is on Manchester so it fits the theme nicely and I figured I’d cover it. The Schnucks at 10233 Manchester Rd is gearing up for a remodel of the front end of its store. Included in this remodel are a renovated exterior facade and a new, interior food hall withe room to accommodate up to three tenants. A nice little project to kick us off.
Shop N’ Save
When Shop N’ Save was acquired by Schnucks last year, it left the Manchester Road location, already located near several existing Schnucks branches (the nearest of which can be seen above and is also on tonight’s agenda), with no real future. The building the grocer used to occupy now appears primed for redevelopment into a three-building complex.
The former Shop N’ Save building (Building C) will host three tenants: the anchor EZ storage facility, a Burn Boot Camp in the southeast corner and a TBD retailer. Closer to Manchester the complex would also include a bank (Building B), and a multi-tenant structure (Building A) that is planned to include a fast food restaurant.
It doesn’t look great but it doesn’t look terrible either. On the one hand its’s a slight improvement in density and reduction in parking which are both always good things. If you look a little closer at Buildings A & B (the two that front Manchester) you will notice that they are both surrounded by wrap-around drive-thrus that cut off any potential interaction with pedestrians/increase their setback from the street. As with most developments in Kirkwood this one can be characterized as two steps forward and one step back. At least there’s some new buried in there however unlike this next one…
BP Gas Station
The final proposal and the least far along (it’s still in the P&Z portion of the process) is a BP gas station and car wash at the location of the former Pi Pizzeria at 10935 Manchester Rd. In addition to the demolition of the former restaurant, the renderings also appear to call for the demolition of four homes and Earl Ave. entirely.
…Yeah, I don’t really know what else to say about this one besides that it sucks and that we shouldn’t do it. It eliminates four homes for four potential Kirkwood families, eliminates a street, and maintains two curb cuts. Like you couldn’t even put the street trees on the street-side of the sidewalk? This is the sort of project that typically flies under the radar but makes all the difference. How consolers vote on this project will be a true test of where they stand on walkability on a whole.
Virtual City-Council Meeting
Tonight’s (April 2nd) City Council meeting will be conducted via Zoom to comply with social distancing guidelines. This is a pretty good chance to get a glimpse as to how the whole process works without actually having to show up. If you’re looking to step up your participation to the next level, maybe you break out a public comment or two (note: Zoom is the only option that let’s you speak). At the very least tune in for some live entertainment. Here are your options:
Zoom:
(Full service, to be recognized to speak, click the “raise hand” icon on right sided of screen)
Link: https://zoom.us/i/677651358
Webinar ID: 677 651 358
Facebook:
(audio and visual but no ability to participate/speak)
City of Kirkwood page live stream
Call In:
(audio only)
+1 (312) 626-6799