Last Tuesday the Maplewood City Council passed an ordinance allowing QuikTrip to relocate from its current spot to the corner of Big Bend Boulevard and Manchester Road. The corner is adjacent to the Maplewood Richmond Heights high school and middle school buildings.
Maplewood resident and MRH parent Tonya Powell threatened a referendum if it passed, and has now followed through.
Powell said she and Maplewood residents Beverly Tronicek, Jeff Wiggs, Jason Dodson and Jim Ablin are the referendum committee. They signed the affidavit to begin the process.
They need signatures from 1,038 registered voters in the city of Maplewood within 30 days of the referendum committee's signatures.
If they don't get enough signatures, the ordinance stands. If they get enough signatures to put it on the ballot, then it goes in front of the council again.
If the council repeals the ordinance then the ordinance is repealed. If they don't repeal it, it goes on the ballot for the next election. If the voters vote to repeal the ordinance, then it's dead, if not, then it is in full effect.
Update: In response to a question, only a simple majority is needed for either the council to repeal an ordinance, or for voters to repeal in a municipal election.
Also in Patch:
- Maplewood Mayor: School Board Made it Clear QT Discussion Was Over
Sara, none of us want vacant buildings, but there are many other kinds of buildings it could be besides an ugly, smelly, dangerous gas station. Once it's a gas station it will ALWAYS be a gas station. That's not true of almost any other kind of business.
I am not trying to stop progress. What I'm trying to do is protect the area and in particular the traffic flow around the school and immediate neighborhood. The plan that the Mayor and Council just approved takes away safe traffic flow around the high shcool and middle school campus. There will be no way for busses to exit the area after dropping off students and no way for delivery trucks to access the shipping/receiving dock. That just doesn't make sense to me. As somone who has lived in Maplewood for over 24 years, I know exactly the Maplewood of The Past that you are referring to. Poor city planning and lack of involvement is what took our city to those Dark Days. We have come so far and I am incredibly proud to have been here for it and done what I could to help. My fear is that poor planing and bad decisions can cause regression or at the very least impede our progress. As a resident and tax payer I may have certain rights, but more importantly, I have an obligation to get involved and do my part to keep Maplewood on the right path.
http://maplewood-brentwood.patch.com/events/maplewood-christmas-tree-walk-f4cc55a4