The bill that would allow QuikTrip to relocate to the northwest corner of Manchester and Big Bend had its second reading and second unanimous vote at the Maplewood City Council meeting Tuesday.

It now has the possibility of becoming law at the next council meeting, on October 9.

Maplewood councilman Shawn Faulkingham (Ward 3) had two sticking points.

He wanted the items, no right turn on red from southbound Big Bend, and left turn from eastbound Manchester only on an arrow, in the amendments, to be approved by St. Louis County traffic engineers before being voted on.

Councilman Tim Dunn (Ward 2) said that changed the amendment and it would have to be re-voted with a new amendment. Faulkingham decided finally not to move to amend the bill.

City Manager Marty Corcoran said he would talk with St. Louis county and MoDOT starting Wednesday, to see if he could get some facts in writing before the next meeting about the effect of the two items Faulkingham wanted confirmation on.

They also reconsidered the amendment to close off Martini Ave., whether it should be done permanently, as was previously voted on, or if it should be done with a movable gate.

In the end the council voted on the second reading of the law, as amended at the last meeting. Like at the Sept. 11 meeting, when they heard the first reading, it passed unanimously. Only one more reading and vote is needed for the bill to become a law.

The Maplewood Richmond Heights School Board is against the QuikTrip move. Board member Francis Chmelir and others spoke against the bill before the vote.

After the meeting, MRH Superintendent Karen Hall said the board of Education really wants to get very clear what the council wants to do.

“Closing off Martini really wasn’t something that we felt was the best measure for our kids, because our children would be walking basically into a parking lot,” she said. That worried her, she said.

She said she appreciated the efforts to make the signals safer, but had concerns.

“There’s no talk about the buses, there’s no clear plan for pedestrian traffic,” Hall said. “There’s so many questions and we’re so close to the end, and I’m really, really worried that the situation is going to get worse.”

She said she was going to talk with Corcoran about the situation on Wednesday.

Also in Patch:

• QuikTrip, Sexual Orientation Discrimination, Food Trucks at Maplewood Council
• MRH School Board Cements its Opposition to QuikTrip Move in Public Meeting
• CVS to Have Nominal Effect on Traffic, QuikTrip Representative Says
• Study Assesses Traffic Volume and Pedestrian Safety at Proposed QuikTrip
• QuikTrip Gains Preliminary Approval Amid Residential Opposition