Doug - Can you post the final details of the PUD passed, including the ammendments?

Mayor White, what about the kids who participate in after school activities like sports, theatre, clubs, etc. and have to walk home? What about the kids who might want to walk back and forth from school? If you look at the majority of public school districts in our St. Louis area, they all most likely have a zone in which the district does not bus kids because of their short walking distance to school. How do you enforce a "no walking to/from school policy"?

Why should a school district pay to bus 60 kids so that QuickTrip can conduct business? That's crazy.

I certainly hope Mayor White isn't scoffing at the fact that fitness is an important part of the culture within our school district. Quick trip is already going to make poor food and drink choices easily accessible for our students. Now you would like them to quit exercising as well?
All around, this relocation is not the right choice for the students in our school district.

Can someone post information on how to get involved in the potential citizen group pushing for a referendum? I am disappointed in our city council and our mayor.

I find it despicable that the Mayor and Council overlooked the will of the people to further their personal agenda. This is why we have recalls. I suggest that when these so-called "representatives" come up for reelection we do not vote for them. They blatantly disregarded our voices. I thought we lived in a democracy, These people are bullies. Well, it is time we wielded our power. Let's vote them out of office.

I personally think that Maplewood can do better than a Quiktrip, and I share the concerns of the School Board regarding safety.

But I am concerned that if Quiktrip bails in the face of growing citizen opposition that another business will just take its place. There is money to be made on that corner, and it will be made. It is my understanding (and Doug can correct me if I'm wrong) that the only reason the council has any say in this transaction is because of the gas tanks and the special permits that they entail. If it wasn't a gas station, the owner of the property and the leasing business could do whatever they want. Are those in opposition okay with a fast food restaurant or any other form of business taking over that spot? In that circumstance, it is unlikely that the business would be so willing to work with city, since they wouldn't need direct approval.

I remember Quicktrip had to fight to get into it's current location. Oh the noise, the neighborhood, the traffic, blah, blah, blah. It has been an asset to the neighborhood and brought much needed improvement and revenue to the city. My son and I both went through the Maplewood SD and had to cross the busy intersections. Those streets have always been busy before the schools were built! (High School & ECC right behind busy Steak 'n Shake). Teach your children how to look before crossing the roads! We need the improvement to that corner and the revenue it will being. I'd vote FOR IT! We need to progress. Keep going forward Maplewood, we've stayed in the past too long & it feels good to see our property values going up with new improvements to the city. That's what brings people to a neighborhood....growth!

Harumph! Oh noez, progress be happening! We ain't happy and you are gonna hear about it.

Thank heavens! It is about time the council put this to bed. A lot of energy over something that should have been settled a long time ago.

But the mayor does sound like a crotchety old man.

Progress is what is happening on Grand Ave, Euclid, and the University City Loop. These places have updated old architecture and claim a diverse collection of restaurants, galleries, and stores. Thanks to the vision of the Joe Edwards, U-City, and residents, The Loop has been designated as"One of the 10 Great Streets in America" by the American Planning Association. A Quik Trip is NOT PROGRESS. It is not visionary. The citizens of Maplewood are at a fork in the road. We can be just like thousands of other cities littered with bright plastic architecture, gas stations, and shops that sell junk food, cigarettes, and alcohol OR...we can strive for something much GREATER. The owner of this corner says, "He welcomes us to go out and find businesses that we want for this corner." Let's approach Chipotle which sells food using organic ingredients,[3] and more naturally raised meat than any other restaurant chain. In addition to a restaurant like Chipotle, another business like Fed Ex/Kinkos could go in on this corner along with a fountain, sculpture, landscaping, and outdoor seating. "Maplewood...oh, you mean the city with the beautiful fountain and sculpture..the city where pedestrians are welcome...the city where the citizens, city council, and schools work together to think outside of the box to create a progressive, sustainable, and beautiful community. Beverly Tronicek

I am very much disturbed by the mayor's comments which discourage walking and biking as a legitimate means of transportation in our city. If our city is to continue on its path to improvement, we should strive to make it as pedestrian friendly as possible, especially since this corner is between the downtown area and the Metrolink station. Taking unnecessary measures to bus kids to school when they could walk or bike is wasteful and sets the WRONG example for smart growth and city planning, and sends the wrong message to the students who would be affected by this.

At the risk of throwing myself into the shark tank, I encourage anyone who is forming their opinion based solely, or even in part, by what is reported by Patch.com in this article or any of those prior, consider that you may not have all of the facts.
This issue has been the subject of countless meetings, discussions and debates over 8 plus months. The quote cited by Mayor in this article was only a snippet of a 2-3 minute statement and doesn't provide the context for his point.

Doug-I wasn't suggesting you needed to do anything more or differently. Your article, from what I can tell, gives readers an accurate summary of what happened at the meeting. I was just pointing out that someone who saw the quote in this article may infer a different message than what the Mayor communicated in his full statement. When I viewed the reader comments about the Mayor discouraging a healthy lifestyle, which is simply not true, I wanted to provide some perspective.

Jeannine - If there are inaccuracies in the Patch's portrayal that obscure the issue, please enlighten us. I'm not sure what the point of your comment is if you are not going to provide more information about these meetings and debates.

Actually, in addition to saying that the kids could be bused instead of walking, the Mayor said other offensive and/or accusatory comments. I was shocked and disappointed. Something like..."We're DONE working with the School Board..." I have attended nearly all of the meetings since August, and my observation is the the Mayor,City Manager, City Council QT, and the School Board have never sat down around one table to work through this issue. The protocal of the city council meetings does not allow for real conversations to take place. The real conversations must take place during work sessions. Unfortunately, work sessions involving all of the key players have not occured. Individuals have met, but this has been ineffective. Beverly

For drivers and pedestrians, I think Quick Trip will improve safety in this intersection. Driving east on Manchester turning south on Big Bend is always frightening - you have to pull into traffic to see past the current building in order to make your turn. Also, it can be tough to see pedestrians if you heading south on Big Bend turning west on Manchester due to the current building not being set back. Because of the paved area and the Quick Trip building being set back, I will feel much safer as a driver and pedestrian at this intersection.

I agree very much with Jane and the Sara(h)s. Each of us can think of our "dream plan" for the northwest corner of Manchester & Big Bend - a park with gardens and fountains, perhaps? Most probably wouldn't choose a Quiktrip. But the reality of the situation is that it is not our decision to make - this is a privately owned lot we are talking about. This is up for debate due to the nature of the proposed business (a gas station) and has nothing to do with the amount of traffic the business is expected to receive or safety concerns (which, to be clear, I believe are of UTMOST importance). Quiktrip has offered to work with the city to make the intersection (which is EXTREMELY unsafe as it stands today) more safe and has even offered to hire a crossing guard during times when most students traverse that section of the road. So, I think we have to think long and hard about what we might end up with if a business other than QT goes in at that corner, and if things fall through with QT, one will. That business likely won't have to work with the Citizens of the Maplewood and/or may not have the resources to improve the safety of the intersection.

There are inherent problems when a school is located near a busy intersection or when houses are located near commercial zones. But, there has to be a balancing of interests and concessions made. The QT move can be a great thing for our Maplewood, we just have to be open-minded and look for creative solutions.