New subdivision proposed within and near a Wildwood development district

The largest home builder in St. Louis hopes to build over 100 houses in a planned urban style neighborhood in St. Louis County.

McBride Berra Land Co. is a joint venture between Oakville's J.H. Berra has submitted a zoning application to the City of Wildwood in West St. Louis County for approval to build 131 single-family detached and attached houses on 9.65 acre as part of Wildwood's Town Center District.

At the southwest corner between Highway 100 and Taylor Road, you will find the larger Town Center Project. Recent proposals have also included an apartment complex and townhouses. This 800-acre district is bordered to the north by Highway 100, to the south by Old Manchester Road and to the west by Highway 109.

McBride Berra's property is located on the north side Crestview, east of Eatherton Road, at 16907 Crestview, 16915, 16921, 16927, and 16933 Crestview, and 2406 Eatherton Road, 2418 Eatherton Road, and 2414 Eatherton Road. These properties are located in the Rockwood school district.

McBride wants to set aside a portion of the 9,65 acres (just over an acre) for future commercial development. However, city staff didn't recommend this change, and instead preferred residential use, according a city report.

According to a notice of a public meeting on June 5, St. Louis based TB Realty, and Benton Homes, are requesting zoning approval for 62 detached and attached single-family houses, spread out over 6.9 acres in clusters ranging from one to four units.

According to documents from the city, Greenberg Development Co. has requested a rezoning for a 4.6 acre property at 16795 Manchester Road to build 11 detached or attached single-family houses.

The city staff supported McBride Berra’s plan for a residential development on the property but suggested that 12 houses should be removed from the design to create more green space, and space around the proposed roundabout. The city reported that the B&B Theatre was the last commercial building built in Town Center in 2008.

Filings indicate that the acreage to be rezoned was part of a 16.3-acre site, but that not all of it is located in the Town Center.

According to the city, these lots are either vacant or already have single-family homes. Some of them are occupied by their owners, while others are becoming more and more rental properties. The city said that all the lots along the road have a minimum of 3 acres, but the lots facing Eatherton Road were smaller.

Documents state that the lot sizes would begin at 35 feet. The smallest site, measuring 2,380 square foot, will have a single-car garage and driveways of 20 feet. Each lot will also include a parallel parking area. According to the plans, the attached units will be duplexes. All yards would receive the same maintenance.

The city has stated that two subdivisions were built as part of Town Center Cambury, and Main Street Crossing. However, no attached houses have yet been built. Cambury has a zone for 82 detached and attached houses on 11.5 acre, while Main Street Crossing has 104 single-family detached homes on 30 acres.

According to McBride's documents, the project called Crestview would need off-street parking, a 10-foot multipurpose trail in place of a sidewalk, and public space to meet the requirements of the City Center. This will include the 'Downtown District'. The city stated that to give the Town Center location a more urban feeling, buildings would be placed facing the street with parking at the rear, while detached houses would face Eatherton, the most busy road nearby. According to the standards, vinyl siding will not be used on houses that are two-stories and have to have front porches.

The city stated that under the Town Center Plan, Crestview Drive - which is currently a private road and a 'narrow rural highway' - would be a future extension to Main Street.

The City purchased property, which it calls the Village Green. This would be a dedicated public space in the downtown. The city has applied for grants to develop the area.