Commission Talks New Convenience Store, Demolition Request

Parker’s Table, a gourmet food and wine shop located in for 15 years until it closed in 2009, “as soon as possible,” store owner Jonathan Parker said last week.

Parker received approval for a conditional use permit from the Richmond Heights Planning and Zoning Commission at its regular meeting Thursday night. In addition to the food and wine offerings, the business will sell regional food products and host wine tastings and other events. Parker said he is working to renovate the building the business will occupy and noted that he likes the location more than his previous Clayton spot. 

“It’s got a great historical nature,” he said.

Zoning Administrator David Reary also mentioned the history of the building in his remarks to the commission. Reary said it served as a U.S. Post Office in 1928 and went on to host a variety of ventures such as a florist, catering business and other specialty food and wine shops.

Additional Parking Spaces Granted for Oakland Offices

The owner of a property located at 7110 Oakland Ave. will be converting the building into retail office space and paving 12 additional parking spots adjacent to the alley connecting Yale Avenue and Blendon Place. The commission gave the go-ahead to Oakland Property Group after company representative Sean Swinigan explained that the expanded parking would be created by demolishing the rear portion of the structure owned by the business.

Swinigan said further parking spots would be provided by the removal of a playground used when the building hosted a daycare. In response to a question from a commission member, Swinigan added that part of that area would be converted into a small picnic area for the offices’ employees.

New Convenince Store Planned for Bellevue Avenue

The commission granted approval for a conditional use permit to open a new convenience store at the location of the former In and Out Market, 1133 Bellevue Ave. Reary said the business would be similar and sell items such as milk, soda, juice, coffee, candy, chips, beer, wine and Missouri Lottery tickets.

Petitioner Ahmed Faez said he is the owner of a similar store in St. Louis City near the intersection of Vandeventer and Manchester avenues. The condition of the property concerned commission members, particularly the discolored appearance of one of the store’s windows, which are Plexiglas.

“The way it stands now, when you look at it from the street, it does look out of place,” Commissioner Neil Clavers said. “First impressions are important.”

Faez is leasing the property and said the owner has been asked about the possibility of cleaning or replacing the windows. He expressed agreement that it would help the business look substantially more attractive.

Driveway Maintenance Issue Fixed

A portion of a driveway on property belonging to Kimberly Kay Wendt had its status as an unimproved part of Eager Road vacated by the planning commission. Wendt submitted her request to the commission after she discovered a section of her driveway was technically maintained by the city of Richmond Heights, Reary said.

At a previous meeting, the request brought opposition from another resident in the area who was concerned that a white barricade at the end of Eager Road would be removed as a result. To address the issue, the vacation was approved with the condition that the barrier remain unaltered.