Gas station proposed at Adelaide and Van Phul by I-70.
Tear down places with public money for highway, highway blights what's left adjacent, coerce driving by spreading out, spur vacancy, build wealth-mine gas station. You'd think with all that effort, spending, policy, force, momentum, etc working to make a gas station here a home run, it needs a subsidy. 90% property tax abatement for 10 yrs is recommended. Holy curb cuts. Epic Fail. Worse than nothing.

^ recommended by whom? whoever it is should no longer be in a position to recommend anything ever.

The staff that makes recommendations to the LCRA

According to that site plan it’s going on this corner but the address is on the other end at the corner of Von Phul and College

Google maps and the Assessor's website put that address at that parcel.

Legit laugh out loud ridiculous that gas stations are allowed to even apply for tax abatements. Not from an environmental perspective, like there aren't enough/wouldn't have more built without them. Like giving tax cuts to cigarette companies. The people that use them need them. What about that scenario requires tax assistance?

You don't understand, it "is necessary and in the public interest, and is in the interest of the public health, safety, morals and general welfare of the people of the City."

quincunx wrote: ↑

May 26, 2021

You don't understand, it "is necessary and in the public interest, and is in the interest of the public health, safety, morals and general welfare of the people of the City."

Ha! Well in that case, sir, I see your gas station and raise you a tax abatement on a marijuana dispensary! Your move! 

My god, they really want a gas station here.  I can't wait until it's continually shot down until it's 0%.  Oh wait, it'll probably pass just to get this stupid thing off people's desks.

Fighting for our community.   It was brought to the residents', surrounding the historical O'Fallon Park, that our current City Hall representative approved the building of ANOTHER gas station.  We, the residents knew nothing of it, till April, 2021.  

Apparently, the 21st Ward Alderman attended a Board of Adjustment (BOA) ZOOM hearing on December 24, 2020, @ 9:am without ANY  resident's knowledge or approval.  That's right. You read it right, December 24, 2020, @ 9:am during a COVID/Christmas season when no one is thinking about new business. During COVID  then and now persons are focused on keeping themselves alive!  People want to get back to work, receiving mortgage/utility assistance or searching for a local food pantry.  

In our effort to stop the building, The O'Fallon Block Link (surrounding residents/blocks) came together to file a suit, Cause No.@ 2122-CC000904.  What a mess!

Wish you all had seen this thread and/or the nextstl post/tweets sooner!

This Alderman is hiding out now. . . . alledging COVID.  . . . . hard to believe. Now HE can stop it.  All he needs to do is write a letter noting he was unaware of the residents' concern to NOT build anything at that location.  Do you think he'll write such a letter? I'm not holding my breath.

Probably not as he was sponsoring the bill last session and this session for a tax abatement. The building permit has been issued. Is there still a way to stop it?

Wish this had come up in the aldermatic race. I submitted a question about it in one of the debates, but don't know if it was asked. The alderman was at the Stl County Council meeting last week and thus exposed to Covid.

I'm not a lawyer, but I don't think there's any real way to stop this at this point. With the permits already issued and the site controlled by the developer, unless there's something illegal that happened that would justify a "pay to play" type situation, or something environmental that needs to be addressed, this gas station has all the boxes checked to get built.

oI will note this. . .  it definitely appears as a "Pay to Play" situation.  Our current representative is the Alderman who is continually  interviewed/filmed  by the local media as driving 'without a valid Mo. Driver's License'.  Yep that's him. 

Von Phul is located right at Hwy 70 East @ the Adelaide Exit.  This exit is one block north of our historic O'Fallon Park, The Pink sisters and 4 exits west of Busch Stadium.  We, The O'Fallon Block Link, filed for a Restraining Order and for an Appeal of the St. Louis City Board of Adjustment's ruling dated January, 2021.  Without going into the details of the suit, we feal confident that the Court will rule in our favor and grant the suit. For sure, once this suit is granted, I guarantee Ward Residents will come out and speak against any building at that Von Phul location. 

We are following the proper guidelines, when we have proof not all parties involved did not, to stop the construction of anything, let alone a gas station @ 5337 Von Phul.

I will keep everyone posted.
M. Long

O_FallonBlock_link wrote: ↑

Aug 25, 2021

The suit is our request for a TRO (to stop constructing) and Permission to File a Late Appeal to The Board of Adjustment.    

We are seeking a Pro Bono Attorney to continue this case on our behalf.  Does anyone know of an attorney, with RE knowledge?   If so, have her/him phone 314 972-4685? Thanks.

Have you all made any progress?