A plan to pave a large parking lot next to the Maplewood Richmond Heights High School gained approval from the Maplewood City Council without any discussion at a meeting last night.

The plan—which reroutes Florent Avenue to connect with Martini Avenue instead of Lohmeyer Avenue—required city approval before the school district could start laying pavement. The city also had to approve rezoning nine district-owned properties from single-family residential to public activity.

The district can now move forward with the demolition of five structures on six nearby properties. The project will start early next year, according to Susan Pruchnicki, an architect with Bond Wolfe Architects.

The proposed plan would add a 105-space parking lot next to the school. The district is paying for the $1 million project with funds from Proposition Y, which voters approved in April. 

During a public hearing at the council meeting, Sherryl Etcheson—a Maplewood resident who lives near the school on Florent Avenue—asked the council if parking lot lights would shine through her home's windows. City Manager Marty Corcoran assured her that the city won't allow the school district to shine lights into residential homes.

The school district held a neighborhood meeting on Nov. 30* to address public concerns. District spokesman Tom Wickersham said the district will hold another meeting in the near future, but no date has been set.

Correction: An earlier version of this story noted an incorrect date for the neighborhood meeting. Patch regrets the error.