spanish lake community area study

Adopted by St. Louis County Council April 1999

Publication Date June 1999

Published by St. Louis County Department of Planning

41 South Central AvenueSt. Louis, Missouri 63105

(314) 889-2520(314) 889-2467 (TTY)

Home Page - http://www.co.st-louis.mo.usE-mail - [email protected]

Alternative formats for this publication (large print, Braille, audio tape) are available uponrequest. Please contact the Planning Department at 889-2520 or 889-2467 (TDD).

SPANISH LAKE COMMUNITY AREA STUDY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

COMMUNITY PROFILE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

STUDY PROCESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

ISSUE IDENTIFICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

VALUES STATEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

TREND STATEMENT AND SCENARIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

COMMUNITY PREFERENCE SURVEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

VISION STATEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

FUTURE LAND USE RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

APPENDICES

A. SUMMARY OF GROUP DISCUSSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

B. TRAFFIC COUNT CHANGE CHART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

C. SUMMARY OF ZONING PETITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

D. CENSUS DATA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

E. COMMUNITY ASSETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

F. LOCATION MAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

G. LAND USE MAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

H. ZONING MAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

I. ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES MAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

1EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Purpose

The purpose of this community area plan is toidentify issues that are of concern to the residentsof Spanish Lake and to devise strategies foraddressing these concerns. The planning processis intended to protect and enhance the livabilitywithin specific neighborhoods, as well as to helpfulfill the overall community vision and to createa more livable community. More specifically, thisplan is intended to:

C Educate both county government andcommunity residents about each othersconcerns and visions for the future.

C Promote collaboration between the countyand the community in order to achievemutual goals and a shared sense ofresponsibility.

C Create a sense of place within acommunity by identifying and developingthe assets within the community.

C Initiate change, rather than simply reactingto it, by addressing specific issues andopportunities.

C Achieve sensible and coordinated projectand program planning.

Initiating the Process

The St. Louis County Department of Planning hashistorically conducted small area studies for areasof the county that were experiencing developmentpressure. Previous community area studiesgenerally addressed future land userecommendations in detail. As the county hasbecome more developed, issues related toretaining property values and commercial servicesas well as maintaining aging infrastructures havesurfaced. The Spanish Lake Community Area

Study was undertaken in response to requestsfrom residents to develop strategies that wouldmaintain the quality of life in this area.

Spanish Lake Profile

The Spanish Lake Community is located in thenortheastern portion of St. Louis County. Thecommunity is bounded by the Mississippi River tothe east, the Missouri River to the north, Highway367 to the west, and Interstate 270 to the south.

Today, the population of the area from the mostrecent census is 20,791, of which there are 5,647families. The area is experiencing a slightpopulation loss, which is consistent with theoverall pattern for St. Louis County with the shiftin population to the outlying areas.

According to the 1990 census, the medianhousehold income was $33,766. This income is89% of the average median income for St. LouisCounty. Spanish Lake residents are also relativelywell- educated. Approximately half of the adultpopulation has either had some college or acollege degree. The majority of Spanish Lakeresidents (61%) are employed in a white collarprofession. Persons working in a blue collarprofession represent 28% of the population.Those who work in a service industry comprise11% of the workers.

The Spanish Lake Community has a diversity ofhousing stock. Two-thirds of the housing wasbuilt between 1960 and 1979 (about a third, 36%between 1960 and 1969 and approximatelyanother third, 33%, between 1970-1979). Themedian value for single family homes isapproximately $72,728. Most of the commercialproperties are located on highways, such asHighway 367 or Dunn Road or clustered at theintersection of Parker and Bellefontaine Roads.

2COMMUNITY GOALS

T Create a better sense of community andidentity in Spanish Lake

T Enhance the aesthetic appeal of SpanishLake through beautification

T Promote public safety and health of theSpanish Lake community

T Maintain a safe and efficient transportationsystem with travel alternatives for allresidents

T Create new commercial opportunitiesincluding retail choice for residents and newbusinesses for job growth.

T Stabilize the housing market to promotethe desirability of Spanish Lake and improvethe quality of its housing stock.

T Create exceptional recreationalopportunities to attract both visitors and newhome owners

The Planning Process

A kick off meeting was held on September 30,1997 for residents to identify issues. The majorissues were related to housing and neighborhoodcharacter, land use, transportation and otherservices and economic development. Task Forceswere formed according to these themes. Thepurpose of the task forces was to examine theissues in each of these categories in more detail.

A steering committee was formed to oversee themanagement of the planning process. The role ofthe Steering Committee was to providerepresentation of community interests in order toassist the Department of Planning in conductingthe Community Area Study. The main functionsof the Steering Committee included identifyingissues, providing specific information about thecommunity, serving in an advisory and facilitatorrole, maintaining contact with the community,and providing guidance and oversight.

The steering committee and task forces created thefollowing work products:

C A Community Values Statement - Acollection of concepts the communityholds important which serves to undergirdthe plan;

C Trend Statements and Scenario - The taskforces made observations about the trendsthat were occurring in Spanish Lake andwhat may happen if these trends continue.

C A Vision Statement - What the communitywould like to become in ten years.

C An Action Plan - This plan contains thegoals for the community as well as thestrategies used to meet these goals. Thegoals developed for the community arelisted below:

It should be noted that all of the recommendedstrategies are not included in this document sinceLouis County Government does not havejurisdiction over school districts. The inputgathered at the meetings will be forwarded to theHazelwood School District for review.

Community Preference Survey

Since revitalization will be a principal function ofa planning effort, three task forces were given acommunity preference survey in order todetermine what aspects of commercialdevelopment were most desired. Participantswere shown slides taken of commercialdevelopments located in St. Louis County. Staff

3attempted to include a variety of established aswell as newer developments including shoppingcenters and individual buildings located in variouscommunities in the county. The slides were notidentified as to location.

In summary, the following design elements werepreferred by community participants in the visualpreference survey:

C Pedestrian scale buildings - 2 storymaximum height

C Attractive landscaping including a varietyof trees and shrubs (evergreen anddeciduous)

C Green space or lawn areasC Parking areas with landscaped islands and

green buffers from street rights-of-wayC Moderately sized parking areas in front of

retail propertiesC Durable building materials, such as brick,

for exterior elevationsC Regulated signage with uniformity of size;

monument signsC Architectural details such as clock towers,

cupolas and dormersC Res iden t i a l - s t y l e a r ch i t ec tu ra l

ornamentationC Traditional colors for building exteriors

and signageC Avoidance of garish color schemes and

generic corporate architecture for chainretail

C Limited access points to commercialproperties to enhance vehicular safety

C Campus-style design for business parkswith industrial/distribution facilities

C Inviting streetscapes which includesidewalks, decorative street lighting, streetfurniture, awnings and landscaping .

Land Use Recommendations

General recommendations were formulated inorder to establish guidelines for futuredevelopment, zoning petitions and planning

decisions. With respect to future land use in theSpanish Lake area it is recommended that:

C Natural and unique aesthetic qualities ofthe area should be preserved in public orcommon ground open space wheneverpossible.

C Residential subdivision developmentshould be environmentally sensitive and inkeeping with surrounding development.

C Ensure that infill developments arecompatible with the surrounding area andpromote the desired character of theSpanish Lake community.

C I d e n t i f y a n d e s t a b l i s hdevelopment/redevelopment areas viamaster plans and create specific landdevelopment guidelines in addition tozoning and subdivision regulations.

Plan Implementation

The implementation of a plan is the most criticalpiece of the planning process. A plan is noteffective unless it is implemented. To address thiskey part of the process, an implementationcommittee will be formed to monitor theimplementation process. This group will meet onan annual basis throughout the duration of theaction plan.

The formation of a 501(c) community associationis most fundamental to keeping the momentum.The community association will be the body toarticulate problems and suggest solutions to solvethese problems. Furthermore, this association willcoordinate projects, acquire funding, and be aclearinghouse of information for the area. Thisgroup will not stand alone, however. Apartnership with St. Louis County Governmentshould be cultivated. Together, these two entitieswill assure the revitalization of the Spanish Lakecommunity.

4Spanish Lake

City ofSt. Louis

SPANISH LAKE COMMUNITY PROFILE

The Spanish Lake Community is located inthe northeastern portion of St. LouisCounty. The community is bounded by theMississippi River to the east, the MissouriRiver to the north, Highway 367 to thewest, and Interstate 270 to the south.

HISTORY

Spanish Lake, originally called SpanishPond until the late nineteenth century, wasnamed after the Spanish troops who stayedthere while building a fortified post forSpain in 1768. Much of the area was oncethe property of James De St. Vrain, abrother of the last Spanish Lieutenantgovernor of Upper Louisiana. It was in thisdistrict, near Spanish Pond, that an old logcabin, said to have been used as agovernment building by LieutenantGovernor De Lassus De St. Vrain, the lastSpanish executive to rule this section, waserected.

Spanish Lake prospered in the nineteenthcentury as a crossroads farming villagecame into being. The Bellefontaine Roadarea was settled largely after General

Bissell relocated Fort Belle Fontaine. FortBelle Fontaine was established in 1806 byGen. James Wilkerson, then governor ofthe territory of Louisiana. The fort servedas one of the most important military postswest of the Mississippi River until thetroops were removed to the JeffersonBarracks reservation in 1827. Trafficbetween St. Louis and the fort was busy;many officials had homes in both places,and visiting dignitaries usually went toboth sites. The liveliest traffic was effectedby the farmers riding back and forth to thecity.

Spanish Lake became a well-developedneighborhood with the arrival of theGerman immigrants. Farmland wasintensely cultivated and small businessesand industries sprang up around theintersection of Bellefontaine, Parker, andSpanish Pond roads, forming the villagescenter. The Catholic parish of St. Aloysiusin Spanish Lake was founded by, and formany years served as, a mission of Baden,located in the northern portion of St. Louis.The Bank of Baden played a large role infarm financing in Spanish Lake, and manycounty farmers also had business interestsin Baden. The German dominance of theregion was almost complete by the 1870's,and most of the surviving farm houses andoutbuildings are associated with that era.

SPANISH LAKE TODAY

PopulationThe population of the area from the mostrecent census is 20,791, of which there are5,647 families. The area is experiencing aslight population loss, which is consistentwith the overall pattern for St. LouisCounty with the shift in population to theoutlying areas.

5 %

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The characteristics of Spanish Lakespopulation are also changing. Over time,characteristics such as average age, familysize, income and race have shifted,changing the needs and the personality ofthe needs of the population as a whole.

The so-called graying of America is not anew phenomenon. This trend is expectedto continue with the number of personsbelow age 65 declining and those above 65increasing. In 1980, 10.1% of thepopulation in Spanish Lake was age 65 andover, while in 1990 that proportionincreased to 13.3%. Conversely, the portionof the population under 18 has decreasedslightly, from 25.3% in the 1980 census to24.3% in 1990.

IncomeAccording to the 1990 census, the medianhousehold income was $33,766. Ahousehold is one or more persons occupyinga dwelling. This could be a single person, afamily, an unmarried couple or other groupsharing a dwelling. This income is 89% ofthe median income for St. Louis County.Only 5.3% of the population was belowpoverty level.

EducationSpanish Lake residents are relatively well-educated. Approximately half of the adultpopulation has either had some college or acollege degree. The breakdown ofeducational attainment is as follows: HighSchool or less, 53%; Some College, 27%;and a College degree, 20%

EmploymentThe majority of Spanish Lake residents(61%) are employed in a white collarprofession. Persons working in a bluecollar profession represent 28% of thepopulation. Those who work in a serviceindustry comprise 11% of the workers.

6Housing The Spanish Lake Community has adiversity of housing stock. Two-thirds ofthe housing was built between 1960 and1979 (about a third, 36% between 1960 and1969 and approximately another third,33%, between 1970-1979).

The median value for single family homesis approximately $72,728.

There are also a couple of new housingdevelopments which are Trampe Heightsand Fountainhead, which is located at thenorth part of Bellefontaine Road.

Multifamily Units The number of multifamily units hasremained stable since 1980. Multifamilydwellings are located along major roadssuch as Highway 367, Dunn Road,Bellefontaine Road, Columbia Bottom Roadand Redman Road.

Commercial DevelopmentThe far north county region hassignificantly less commercial development(just under 8 million square feet) than anyother region in St. Louis County. The

percentage of commercial developmentdevoted to retail sales is 76 percent, muchgreater than any other region in thecounty. Far north county is primarilyresidential and does not contain majoremployment centers.

Most of the commercial properties arelocated on highways, such as Highway 367or Dunn Road or clustered at theintersection of Parker and BellefontaineRoads.

Environmental FeaturesIssues in land use planning such as wastedisposal, utilities, highway and buildingdesign and natural resource developmentare directly influenced by area topographyand geology. The topography of an areacan have an effect on the location of roads,utility lines, storm water drainage systemsand erosion control and may affect thelandscaping of buildings and otherstructures. Building costs to adapt tocertain slopes and soil conditions are animportant part of any development.

The predominate topography of theSpanish Lake area can be best be describedas gently rolling with slopes between 2%and 5%. Areas located adjacent to theMississippi and Missouri rivers withinidentified flood plain areas arecharacterized as flat or nearly level (0 to2% slope). In review of the overall soils andgeology of the area, it should be noted thatcertain sections are located within an areawhere engineering problems may beassociated with development. However,only a small area is affected, and the effectsof the soils and geology in these areasshould be minimal and/or can be eliminatedor effectively reduced by proper designcriteria. While a large part of the SpanishLake community is developed, there areundeveloped portions that can be describedas having extensive tree cover; unfavorablesoils or geologic conditions; flood plain; and,

7moderate to steep slopes (specifically alongthe river bluff area).

St. Louis County has instituted a policyrequiring the submission of geotechnicalreports for development in areas consideredpotentially unsuitable because of soil orgeologic conditions. These reports areevaluated to determine the suitability of aparticular development given the physicalproperties of the bedrock and overlyingmaterial onsite. Specific developmentconcerns which exist in this area are thetendency for erosion when grades exceed a5% slope. In addition there are otherfactors of soil stability that should beevaluated in the report including theinfluences of sinkholes, rock outcroppingsand other limiting factors for development.Additionally, as with any developmentlocated within the flood plain, St. LouisCounty would require submission of a floodplain study in order to evaluatedevelopment in flood prone areas and itseffect on surrounding properties. Ascertain locations within Spanish Lake havebeen identified as being within unsuitabledevelopment areas, developers will berequired to submit flood plain studies andgeotechnical reports as necessary at thetime of development.

ZoningHistorically, zoning requests authorizinglow to moderate density residential havebeen dominant in the Spanish Lake area.A pattern of commercial zoning has beenestablished along the State Highway 367corridor, a limited area along Interstate270 and/or within small commercial nodeslocated at certain street intersectionswithin the Spanish Lake area. Within thepast five years, zoning requests have beenprimarily commercial in nature. Themajority of these petitions have requestedlow to moderate intensity commercialdevelopment along the same corridors andestablished commercial nodes. Commercial

uses continued to be authorized in mostcases under the C-8 Planned CommercialDistrict and the C-2 Shopping District.There have been additional commercialtype uses such as a bed and breakfast,daycare facilities and a group home thathave been approved under the ConditionalUse Permit (C.U.P.) and Landmark andPreservation Area (L.P.A.) procedures inthe Spanish Lake area in the past fiveyears. These particular uses, whilecommercial in nature, are not traditionallycommercial in use. Primarily located inresidential areas, these uses are classifiedas services, however there is no retail salesspecifically associated with the use, whichrequires specific conditions for developmentso as not to be incompatible with permitteduses in the area. (See APPENDIX C)

Transportation Spanish Lake contains two highways,Interstate 270 at its southern boundaryand State Highway 367 along its westernboundary. The other major thoroughfaresin the area include Bellefontaine, Larimoreand Columbia Bottom Roads, which runnorth and south. Major thoroughfares thatrun east and west comprise NewJamestown, Parker, Redman, Trampe,Spanish Pond, Prigge and Coal BankRoads.

The heaviest traveled areas, based on 1996average weekday traffic counts for SpanishLake are primarily along BellefontaineRoad. The highest traffic counts are atInterstate 270 ( 28,780) Claudine Drive(19,310), Redman Road (17,980), TrampeRoad (14,100) and Parker Road (11,420).(See accompanying map on page 8.)

Infrastructure And ServicesUtilities are not provided throughout theentire study area, although they areadequate to serve the existing residentialand commercial land uses. These utilities

9are available in varying degree dependingon where extensions have been made. Forexample, natural gas, public water suppliesand sanitary sewers are available in mostparts; electricity and telephone services areavailable throughout the Spanish Lakearea. These and other service distributionsystems may have to be expanded if futuredevelopment occurs and demand isidentified. With regard to the handling ofstorm water, significant improvementshave been made and are anticipated inSpanish Lake. Specifically, roadimprovement projects, such as those alongBellefontaine Road, will includeconstruction of sewers which will collectstorm water and direct the water to naturaldischarge points.

Community service providers such as theSpanish Lake Fire Protection District andHazelwood School District maintainservices in the area. Police, parks, librariesand other services are provided to the areaby St. Louis County.

COMMUNITY ASSETS

L a n d m a r k s a n d C o m m u n i t yInstitutions

The Larimore House

The Larimore House (c. 1860) WilsonLarimores farmstead was much admired

by Missouris agricultural society. In 1866the St. Louis Agricultural and MechanicalAssociation Fair, the largest and mostprestigious show in Missouri, awardedLarimores property the premium for bestimproved and most highly cultivated farmnot less than 500 acres.

The Old Blacksmith Shop

The Spanish Lake Blacksmith Shop, 12223Bellefontaine Road (c 1881) located at theold business intersection, was built byJacob Wilhelm, a German settler. Thisbuilding now serves as a produce stand.

Barlborts General Merchandise Store

Barlborts General Merchandise Store (c1895) The store was acquired by HenryBarlbort, a German farmer and contractorwho sold general goods, groceries, coal, andfeed. Now closed, Barlborts store is facingan uncertain future.

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Cannon at Fort Bellefontaine

Fort Bellefontaine. This site is currently ahome for boys. Remnants of when this sitewas a military base remain. This site wasalso a campsite for the Lewis and ClarkExpedition.

Parks and Recreation Spanish Lake Park - Located on SpanishPond Road, it has many amenities such asfishing, athletic fields, trails, picnicshelters and sites, playgrounds and tenniscourts.

Larimore Park - This park features athleticfields, picnic shelters and sites, playgroundequipment and tennis courts.

Coldwater Creek and Fort BellefontainePark are two smaller parks located in thearea.

The Columbia Bottoms Area - This area isowned by the Missouri Department ofConservation. The main feature of this siteis the confluence of the Mississippi andMissouri Rivers.

SchoolsPublicSpanish Lake has public schools to servechildren at all grade levels. There are twoelementary schools, Twillman andLarimore, and a junior high, Kirby.Hazelwood East is the high school in thecommunity.

ParochialThere are also a number of parochialschools that serve the needs of thecommunity. Two elementary schools, St.Aloysius and Our Lady of Loretto, andRosary High School are located within thearea, however their enrollment, especiallythe high school, does not draw exclusivelyfrom the Spanish Lake area.

ChurchesThere are seventeen churches in SpanishLake, representing a wide variety ofreligious affiliations. In addition to servingthis area, many of the churches draw fromoutside of the Spanish Lake community.

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STUDY PROCESS

The St. Louis County Department of Planning hashistorically conducted small area studies for areasof the county that were experiencing developmentpressure. Previous community area studiesgenerally addressed future land userecommendations in detail. As the county hasbecome more developed, issues related toretaining property values and commercial servicesas well as maintaining aging infrastructures havesurfaced. The Spanish Lake Community AreaStudy was undertaken in response to requestsfrom residents to develop strategies that wouldmaintain the quality of life in this area.

The aim of the study is to develop a vision forSpanish Lake that will guide citizens, serviceproviders and county government in theiractivities and decisions for this area. Along withthe vision is an action plan for achieving thisfuture for Spanish Lake. The process heavilyinvolved citizens of the area both in the planningand the implementation of the plan. The planproposes to build partnerships with citizens,community resources, service providers, andgovernment.

On September 30, 1997 a kick-off meeting washeld for the Spanish Lake Community Area Study.Residents were asked to discuss their communityand the issues it faces. Nearly 200 peopleattended. They were broken up into ten smallgroups and answered questions that helped assessthe strengths and weaknesses of theirneighborhoods. The discussions identified keyissues and concerns which helped shape thedirection of the study. People in attendance wereasked to indicate if they wanted to be furtherinvolved in the study. Many of the people whoworked on the study were recruited at this initialpublic meeting. Nearly 300 people participated inthe Spanish Lake Community Area Study Process.Their participation ranged from attending theinitial meeting to serving on the SteeringCommittee or a Task Force Committee to

attending the Town Hall Meeting or working inthe Community Garden.

STUDY COMPONENTS

Data Collection and Analysis: Information fromthe 1990 census and other available sources wasanalyzed in order to provide backgroundinformation for the other plan elements. Staffreviewed previous zoning petitions and toured andphotographed the area. Information about thehousing stock in the area was reviewed includingassessed value, change over time, and year built.Staff also looked at commercial properties, trafficcounts and utility service areas to identifycommunity issues.

Issue Identification: The issues important to theSpanish Lake Community were identified at thekick-off meeting.

Value Statement: The Value Statement was thefirst item the Steering Committee tackled. Thepurpose of the Value Statement was to articulatethe core shared values that most accurately reflecta communitys deepest beliefs and ideals. Avalues statement is usually a collection ofconcepts used to undergird the directives of theplan.

Trend Statement and Scenario: The purpose ofthe trend statement and scenario was to look atwhat was happening in Spanish Lake and what thearea would be like in the future if these trendscontinued. Each Task Force Committee handledthis differently, but generally included werepresentations from service providers or otherexperts on current conditions. The Task ForceCommittees discussed what this informationmeant in terms of what Spanish Lake is like todayand what the trends were for the area. Theimplications for the future of the area wereincluded in the trend statements.

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Vision Statement: This is the formal expressionof the overall image of what the community wantsto be and how it wants to look at some point in thefuture. A visioning exercise was used that hadTask Force Committee members think about whatthey would want to have happened in SpanishLake in ten years. The Planning Department alsoworked with children in four classes at St. Alyosisand Our Lady of Loretto schools to involve themin the visioning process.

Action Plan: The action plan consists of thegoals, objectives, and strategies for achieving thevision of Spanish Lake. From the visioningsessions, draft goals and objectives weredeveloped. These were refined by the SteeringCommittee. As a group, the Task Forcesdeveloped recommended strategies for achievingthe goals and objectives. With input from theSteering Committee and Task Forces, staffidentified who would be responsible for theimplementation and looked at the time frame forachieving the objective.

Implementation: The implementation of the planis as important as the development of the plan. Inorder to insure that the plan will be followed, animplementation committee will be responsible forthe oversight and review of this stage of the plan.They will review progress towards achievement ofstrategies and modify the schedule forimplementation if necessary.

STEERING COMMITTEE

A Steering Committee of citizens and serviceproviders was named to lead the Spanish LakeCommunity Area Study. The citizenrepresentatives on the Steering Committee wereselected primarily from persons who had attendedthe kick-off meeting. Efforts were made tobalance the committee geographically from withinSpanish Lake. The Committee membership alsoincluded some service providers. Serviceproviders including the Hazelwood SchoolDistrict, St. Louis County Police, Missouri

Department of Conservation, St. Louis CountyHousing Authority, St. Louis County PlanningCommission, and St. Louis Metropolitan FairHousing Task Force were selected in response toclearly identified issues that were identified at thekick off meeting.

The following persons agreed to be part of theSteering Committee:

Rev. Edwin Bass Pastor, The EmpoweredChurch

Dora Gianoulakis ResidentThomas Hiegel ResidentElbert Kennedy ResidentJerry Lapinski ResidentRied Lowrie ResidentCarol Moenster ResidentDave Naumann ResidentChris Redd ResidentCindy Vogelsang ResidentGene Warmann ResidentWilliam Ballard St. Louis County Planning

CommissionJames Hayes St. Louis County Planning

CommissionTom Leifield Missouri Department of

ConservationDennis Sissom Hazelwood School DistrictMark Stroker St. Louis County Housing

AuthorityScott Roach St. Louis County PoliceRobert Trittler St. Louis County PoliceBronwen Zwirner St. Louis Metropolitan

E q u a l H o u s i n gOpportunity Council

The role of the Steering Committee was toprovide representation of community interests inorder to assist the Department of Planning inconducting the Community Area Study. The mainfunctions of the Steering Committee included:

! Identify issues relating to the SpanishLake Community including:Existing land use and future development

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Maintenance of housing andneighborhoodsServices availableEconomic viability of community.

! Provide specific information about thestudy area, including:facilities and service needs,transportation and circulation issues,other community problems.

! Serve in an advisory and facilitator roleon Citizen Task Force Committees, whichmore closely examined particular issues inthe Community.

! Maintain contact with the communityand assist in bringing to the process thewidest possible representation ofcommunity concerns.

! Provide oversight and guidance to thePlanning staff as it incorporatescommunity input into the study process inorder to assure that the final studyadequately reflects community issues andsolutions.

TASK FORCES

From the issues identified, four Task Forces wereestablished. The Task Forces were charged withthe following:

A. Housing and NeighborhoodQuality - Property values, Condition anddesirability of existing housing, Section 8 andother assisted housing, Perception of SpanishLake area, Real Estate Agent practices, Retainingyoung families in area, Schools.

B. L a n d U s e a n d F u t u r eDevelopment - Park and recreation areas,Confluence of the Missouri and MississippiRivers, Future land use development in SpanishLake, General nature of the area, Commercial

development.

C. Services: Transportation,Utilities, Public Safety, and Government -Highway 367 and I-270, County roadmaintenance, Public transportation, Sidewalks,Police services, Other government services,Utilities.

D. Economic Development -Redevelopment and retention of existingcommercial areas, Incentives for business ownersto locate or remain in the area, Marketing ofexisting commercial areas, Image of commercialareas.

People who had indicated they wanted to befurther involved in the study were contacted andasked to rank their interest in the task forcesubject areas. Those who responded weregrouped by their first or second choice to developtask force membership that was geographicallybalanced.

PROJECTS DURING THE PLANNINGPROCESS

Although the plan has not been finalized, therewas great interest in getting something done longbefore the plan was finalized. There were sixmain projects during the process:

Town Hall Meeting: On May 11, 1998approximately 75 people attended a Town HallMeeting held at Hazelwood East High School.County Departments including Public Works,Planning, Highways and Traffic, Health, andParks and Recreation as well as the MissouriDepartment of Conservation provided informationand answered questions. St. Louis County Parksand Recreation presented information on parkprograms available and Public Works discussedthe Property Maintenance Program.

Community Garden: On May 9, 1998 about 20people worked to till the ground and plant a

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community garden at the triangle at Larimore andTrampe Roads. Donated plants and much hardwork resulted in an attractive garden area where acrab grass triangle previously existed. Allsummer, volunteers from the neighborhood havewatered and weeded this community asset.

Bulk Waste Recycling and Pick-up Grant: InMay, the St. Louis County Health Departmentreceived a grant application on the behalf ofSpanish Lake to fund a bulk waste program toreduce illegal dumping in the area. The grant willinvolve drop-off sites for discarded materialswhich are not picked up during normal trashremoval. The grant has been received and theproject will start this fall.

Community Living Association: The St. LouisCounty Police Department, in conjunction withapartment managers in the Spanish Lake area,have partnered to coordinate information aboutproblem tenants and apartment living issues. The

purpose of this program is to avoid havingproblem tenants leave one apartment complexmerely to move to another complex and continueto cause problems.

Real Estate Agent and Mortgage LenderForum: On August 12, 1998 an informationalmeeting was held for real estate agents andmortgage lenders in the Spanish Lake area.Hazelwood School District, St. Louis CountyDepartment of Planning, and a local real estateappraiser presented positive information about theSpanish Lake area. The intent of this meeting isto better inform potential home buyers of thepositive features of this community.

Upcoming First Time Home Buyer Forum: Aninformational forum for first time home buyersinterested in homes in the Spanish Lake area isplanned. This forum will cover financing, usinga real estate agent, and what a home buyer needsto know to find the right house.

ISSUE IDENTIFICATION

At the Kick-Off meeting held September 30,1997, nearly 200 residents of the Spanish Lakemet to discuss their issues and concerns regardingtheir community. These issues served as the basisfor the much of the planning for this area.

The following is a summary of the issuesidentified by residents at the Kick-Off meeting. Amore detailed listing of the small groupdiscussions is contained in Appendix A.

Spanish Lake Area AssetsThe country-like atmosphere, open space,beautiful trees, and peace and quiet wereidentified as important assets of the Spanish Lakecommunity. Location, meaning access todowntown, major highways, work and shoppingwere also noted. Affordable, attractive housingand wide variety of housing choices were cited asbenefits. Recreational opportunities, especially

Spanish Lake Park, were major assets. Goodschools, churches, the hospital, police and fireprotection and convenient shopping werespecifically mentioned.

Issues for the CommunityThe issues identified fell into four maincategories:

A. Housing and Neighborhood Character

Issues related to housing were viewed as the mostimportant. Primary concerns included the largepercentage of multiple family housing units in theSpanish Lake area as compared to the County asa whole. The high proportion of Section 8 orassisted housing in the area was also cited. Otherproblems included maintenance of multiple familyunits, poor screening of apartment renters, andovercrowding within the units. The trend of

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young families moving out of the area was viewedas a problem. Another issue was a negativeperception of North County. This was cited as apublic relations problem as well as an inferioritycomplex issue for residents. Declining propertyvalues in the area were also mentioned.

Concerns included real estate practices such asbad mouthing the area, using scare tactics, notshowing houses to white families, andencouraging white families to move to St. CharlesCounty. Racial issues were mentioned, includinga need to work together.

Property maintenance was an issue. Landlordswho do not maintain their property as well asproblems with single family owner occupants wasmentioned. Occupancy permits and propertyconservation districts were noted as tools to helpsolve this problem. Problems discussed includedlarge extended families crowded into a singleresidence, junk cars, tall weeds and grass, anddumping of trash. Incorporation was mentionedas an option.

Non-residents of the area coming in to attend theHazelwood schools was an issue for the schooldistrict. There were also some concerns regardingschools in general, class size and overcrowding inparticular.

B. Land use (existing and futuredevelopment) and open space, includingpark and recreational facilities

A desire to see no new multiple familydevelopment occur in the area was emphasized.

Conservation of existing open space, whether in apark or preserving the rural feel of the SpanishLake area in general, was important. The futuredevelopment of the Columbia Bottom/ConfluenceArea by the Department of Conservation was anissue. Loss of green space, concern with the futureof Spanish Lake Park and Fort Bellefontaine Parkwere also issues.

There were a number of concerns withcommercial development. Vacant commercialbuildings need to be cleaned up and redeveloped.Quality commercial development would be anasset to the area.

C. Transportation, (roads, sidewalks, andpublic transportation), and utilities(sewer, water, gas and electric) andother services

The confusing traffic lights and resultingdangerous intersections on Highway 367 were aconcern for many residents. Bellefontaine Road,Redman Road, Interstate 270 construction,Larimore Road/Larimore Parkway, and Coal BankRoad were also traffic problems. General streetrepair needs and a lack of sidewalks were aproblem. Most of the transportation issuesconcerned roads in the area. Maintenance ofsubdivision streets was noted. A need forsidewalks especially to serve the GatewayAccessible Housing residents was mentioned.MetroLink extension and expanding the busroutes serving the Spanish Lake area were areaneeds. There was also some discussion of a moredirect road to downtown St. Louis. Bike paths,especially linked to the Chain of Rocks Bridgewere suggested.

Some rural portions of Spanish Lake are notserved by MSD sewer lines and instead have theirown septic systems. Extension of MSD was aneed identified by residents.

Other utility concerns included lack of stormsewers, repeated water line breaks, loss of electricpower and utility tree trimming along rights-of-way. Too many trash haulers was also mentioned.

Generally, the police service and fire service forthe Spanish Lake area were viewed favorably,although residents requested more police patrolsin neighborhoods and in commercial areas.Community policing has been successful. A needfor more neighborhood watch groups was noted.

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Data showed an increase in crimes against personssuch as mugging and robbery. Some residentsexpressed feeling less safe in this area than in thepast. The issue of City versus Countyresponsibility near the jurisdictional border wasalso brought up.

Traffic was a safety issue - primarily at Highway367 intersections. An emergency vehicle lane wassuggested to serve the hospital. Drivers cuttingthrough commercial parking lots to avoid waitingat traffic lights was a concern. Careless teenagedrivers were also an issue.

D. Economic Development (jobs andbusinesses)

Empty commercial buildings, a need to attractnew businesses to the area, and a limited choice ofrestaurants and other retail uses issues wereidentified as problems. A desire to see existingcommercial buildings used (and reused) ratherthan the construction of new buildings andadditional commercial areas was expressed. Thevacant GEM store was specifically mentioned.

The need for planned commercial development ona neighborhood scale rather than large intensecommercial development was emphasized.Generally, the area is well served by fast foodrestaurants and convenience stores.

The Missouri Department of Conservation areawas viewed as an economic development asset.

VALUES STATEMENT

A values statement was created by the steeringcommittee as an attempt to capture those core,shared values that most accurately reflect thecommunitys deepest beliefs and ideals. A valuesstatement is used to help gauge what reallymatters to local citizens, and thus, provides a setof qualitative criteria for assessing and refining avision that is appropriate to the Spanish Lakecommunity. This statement also establishes astructure and a context for the action plan.

Every choice the residents of Spanish Lake makefor their future implies certain values in action.The values we choose to uphold as a communitywill determine the future we create. Thefollowing values reflect the unique character ofour community and the qualities we seek topreserve and enhance as we head into the future.

We value our natural beauty. We prize ourcommunitys natural beauty and we will strive topreserve it. Open space and recreation are alsoimportant to us. We cherish our park lands andwill make efforts to continually improve them tomake them safer and offer quality recreation forour children.

Our residential areas are essential to thecommunity. We will strive to preserve the qualityof our residential areas by maintaining the smalltown rural environment while encouraging newresidential construction. We place significance oncreating and conserving the supply of singlefamily homes, and we oppose the construction ofmulti-family housing. We also aim to maintainthe value and quality of the existing housingstock.

We also believe in quality schools and work toprovide a solid educational foundation for ourchildren. We also encourage parents to becomeinvolved in their childrens education. SpanishLake residents recognize the importance ofcommunity safety and strive to ensure the safetyand security of every community member anytime of day or night. We also strive to enhancethe mobility of residents by maintaining thequality of our streets and building sidewalks.

We aspire to build a better business climate bypromoting investment and business opportunitiesconsistent with the nature of the community. Thebusinesses should respect the communitys small

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town atmosphere and natural beauty. Thecommunity offers existing commercial structures,as well as locations to construct new buildings.

We place importance on building a caringcommunity with people united in common goals,

this effort begins at the block level. We encouragepositive marketing of the area to all racial and agegroups. Furthermore, we aspire to create racialharmony within our neighborhoods. We alsodesire to portray a sense of community pride tooutsiders.

TREND STATEMENT AND SCENARIO

CURRENT TRENDS AND CONDITIONS

Housing and Neighborhood Quality Spanish Lake has good housing stock that isaccessible to highways and the airport, and is in asemi-rural setting. These homes also have avariety of price ranges. The residents, some ofwhom have lived in Spanish Lake for generations,are neighborly and take pride in home ownership.The community has undergone change in the pastten years. Residents are witnessing peoplemoving to the community who do not share thesame pride in home ownership and do not stay inthe community long. Spanish Lake is also subjectto negative perceptions of the North County area.

Services Spanish Lake has a fairly good transportationsystem, although deficiencies exist in severalareas such as confusing highway intersections,few sidewalks, limited public transit service, andtraffic problems in certain areas. Sidewalks areabsent in the majority of Spanish Lake, even onmost major roads. As a result, pedestrian safetyissues are an on-going concern. Bus servicethroughout the day is limited to only one route.

Public safety issues more often involve trafficconcerns rather than other crimes. The lack ofturn lanes on some major roads, long lights atcomplicated highway intersections and lack ofsidewalks are all transportation problems whichresult in public safety problems. Police serviceincludes both regular beat policing andneighborhood policing programs. Data from thepast three years does show an increase in overallcrime of fifteen percent (15%) in Spanish Lake,

although most of the increase was due to a rise inburglaries, rather than crimes against persons.Services from the fire department are beingexpanded through the introduction ofdefibrillators for cardiac arrest victims and safetyinspections for housing units.

Internally, Spanish Lake is well-served by anumber of east-west and north-south arterial roadssuch as Bellefontaine, Columbia Bottoms,Larimore, New Jamestown, Parker and RedmanRoads. These arterial roads provide numerousconnection points to the major highways whichborder Spanish Lake on the south (I-270) and west(Highway 367). Unfortunately, the intersectionswhere the arterial roads connect to Highway 367are poorly designed and are a traffic and safetyhazard. Backups at major intersections and a lackof turn lanes cause some motorists to performunsafe and illegal maneuvers, such as cuttingthrough commercial properties to avoid stop lightsand passing on shoulders. Because Spanish Lakeis bounded by major rivers on the north (MissouriRiver) and east (Mississippi River), drivers whowish to get to the rest of the St. Louismetropolitan area must always travel south orwest first, creating a somewhat unique trafficpattern.

The major utility concerns in the area center onsanitary and storm water sewer issues. TheMetropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD)provides sewer service in Spanish Lake, althoughsome septic systems still exist. The lack of stormwater sewers along some major arterial, such asLarimore Road, causes flooding problems.However, this is the responsibility of the St. Louis

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County Department of Highways and Traffic, notMSD. Flooding on Trampe Road in the depressedsection under the railroad tracks is a concern.

Economic Development Spanish Lake has traditionally been a bedroomcommunity with limited commercial andemployment centers. The area is not generally adestination for shoppers or workers. Basicservices including groceries, fast food, autoservice, and gasoline have always been availablein Spanish Lake. Variety of goods and serviceshas traditionally been limited and the trend istoward fewer choices as businesses close orrelocate out of the area.

Commercial development is concentrated alongHighway 367, Dunn Road, and BellefontaineRoad. The current trend appears to be no newcommercial areas, but some reuse of existingones. Some of the businesses recently located inthe area include non-traditional business activitiessuch as day care centers and Larimore PlantationHouse.

There are buildings and businesses that have ashopworn, deferred maintenance look. Somebusinesses are marginal and stay in business dueto lack of competition or low cost of continuedoperation at their current location. The area alsohas some vacant buildings that detract from thearea.

Land Use and Future Development The historical development of Spanish Lake andthe difficulty and expense of developing parts ofthe area have resulted in higher density residentialland uses located in the southern and northwesternportion of the area, with lower density residentialdevelopment in the north/northeastern portion ofthe community. This has resulted in aconcentration of apartments and housing for firsttime home buyers or smaller lower cost singlefamily housing in parts of the area.

The Spanish Lake community has not experienced

any major changes in residential or commercialland use and/or associated zoning in recent years.Due in part to the questionable and/or uncertaineconomic environment and perception of the area,it is possible that this trend may continue into thefuture.

TREND SCENARIO

Housing and Neighborhood Quality There are several implications to the phenomenathe community is observing. Since some familiesdo not live long in the community, the result is agroup of transient children who are part of aschool for only a few months, which createsinstability. This lack of stability is also reflectedin poor test scores, which creates a negative imageof the school district. Residents believe that astable school district with a better than averageperformance rating is the foundation of thecommunity.

Some homes are not being properly maintained.Poorly maintained homes may affect futureneighborhood home sales. It is perceived thatcertain residents may not be able to maintain theirhomes due to insufficient resources. Overcrowding in apartments and homes is alsobecoming more prevalent. The lack of anoccupancy code in most areas of Spanish Lakemay contribute to this occurrence.

Many perceive North County in an unfavorablelight. This image is sometimes perpetuated by themedia which focuses on negative events in thecommunity. Other areas of the region, such asWest County and St. Charles County, areperceived as more desirable. Young families areleaving the community.

If these trends continue, they will result in apoorer quality school system and unstableneighborhoods. Property values will also declinewhich will make the area less appealing for youngfamilies. The rich history of the community willalso be lost as third and fourth generation families

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leave Spanish Lake.

Economic Development The direction that the Spanish Lake businesscommunity is heading has several implications forthe future of the area. Fewer shopping and servicechoices force residents to leave the area forshopping and other services. This continues aspiral which negatively affects existingbusinesses. If the appearance and variety withinthe business areas continues to decline, it willimpact the ability of Spanish Lake to attract andretain not only businesses but residents as well.

Services Although traffic is not dramatically increasing asa result of new housing, without interventiontraffic problems are likely to continue or increase,as the number of trips per household has increasedregionally. Physical improvements such as turnlanes and reconfiguration of intersections wouldbe necessary to improve the present conditions.Unless sidewalks are installed at least along majorroads, pedestrian safety will continue to be aproblem. The present level of bus service will notlikely attract additional riders due to its limitedroutes and hours of operation.

The level of crime is currently tempered by goodparticipation in Neighborhood Watch programsand community involvement, but maintaining thatlevel of involvement is a constant need. Adequatefire service will be dependent on maintaining anappropriate real property tax base in the future.Flooding, sanitary and storm water sewerproblems will also require additional investmentsto improve. While these problems are neither

unique to Spanish Lake nor severe in nature,vigilance will be required to keep problems fromworsening and intervention will be needed toimprove current traffic and public safetyproblems.

Land Use and Future Development Traditional commercial land use and zoningpatterns are exhibited in the Spanish LakeCommunity. Commercial land uses and zoningare prevalent adjacent to major arterial (Highway367 and Dunn Road) located around the peripheryof the community. Smaller commercial nodes arelocated at major intersections within thecommunity, i.e. Bellefontaine Road and ParkerRoad. Offices and service uses are turning intomore intense uses, such as fast food and retailalong the major arterial. A small number of non-traditional commercial uses, such as child carefacilities and a historic site bed and breakfast, arebeing located in previously residential areas. Asis prevalent in most areas of St. Louis County, theloss of small retail and service uses couldpotentially affect the general character of the areaand allow for other less desirable uses to beestablished.

With the future development of the ColumbiaBottom Conservation Area, in addition to theexisting parks in the area, a large portion of theSpanish Lake Community will be devoted to park,preservation/conservation and nature areas. Dueto the large amount of vacant land and industriallyzoned property in the general area and theeconomic uncertainty of the area, the impact ofthis trend is unclear at this time.

COMMUNITY PREFERENCE SURVEY

When talking about what design standards shouldbe required in a community, it is sometimesdifficult for people to describe what they think isdesirable or appropriate. Sometimes theircomments are affected by what they think theyshould like, not what they find pleasing. In

order to focus on what appeals to the community,a series of slides were shown to three of the taskforces. The slides were taken of commercialdevelopments located in St. Louis County. Staffattempted to include a variety of established aswell as newer developments including shopping

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centers and individual buildings located in variouscommunities in the county. The slides were notidentified as to location. Participants were askedto rank each slide from minus 5" to plus 5"; thehigher the number, the more they liked it. Theindividual scores were averaged and the slideswere ranked by score.

The community preference survey slides showeda wide variety of commercial properties includingretail, office and industrial/warehouse land uses.Although the commercial buildings varied widelyin age and type, several overall themes could bedetected once the sites were ranked by score.

Pedestrian scale buildings of two stories or lesswere high in the ranking. Across all types ofstructures, properties with extensive landscapingand green space were rated favorably by thecommittees.

Parking lots which received high scores weretypically those with landscaped islands whichprovide breaks in the asphalt paving. It was alsonoteworthy that properties which had parking lotswhich were separated from the street right-of-wayby grass and landscaped areas were morefavorably viewed than those separated with onlycurbs or asphalt.

While some attractive older commercial areaswith no parking space in front of their structuresreceived high marks, for the most part residentsappeared to prefer commercial developments withfront parking areas. Properties with smallerparking areas ranked higher than those with vastamounts of continuous asphalt parking. Thelowest ranking image was that of an oldercommercial property with a roll curb whichallowed unimpeded access from any point in thestreet, but also required patrons to back outdirectly into street traffic when leaving the retailcenter. Participants noted that this was a safetyhazard in addition to being aestheticallyunappealing. Properties with more controlledegress and adequate drive aisle widths scored

much higher.

Commercial areas with garish color schemesreceived low marks, as did those with excessive,uncoordinated signage. The committees gaveproperties with monument signs and more mutedor traditional color patterns higher scores.Buildings with generic corporate architecture andsignage ranked very low.

For industrial/warehouse properties, newerproperties in business parks with a campus-styledesign rated much more favorably than olderproperties. The newer business parks generallyhad green space, landscaping and attractivelydesigned parking areas, as opposed to olderindustrial areas which were largely utilitarian inappearance and devoid of greenery.

Unique architectural details were preferred by thecommittee members. While ornamental designswere more typical on older commercial buildingsin the slide presentation, there were also newerproperties with features such as clock towers,cupolas and dormers. These properties withresidential-style design elements ranked muchhigher than properties with long, featurelessfacades. Properties with solid building materials,such as brick, were rated above those with lesssubstantial construction.

Inviting streetscapes featuring decorative streetlighting, street furniture, awnings, and widersidewalks ranked most highly. All of theseelements create a pedestrian-friendly atmosphereand in many ways conform to the concept ofreturning the focus to pedestrian, as opposed toautomobile, traffic.

In summary, the following design elements werepreferred by community participants in the visualpreference survey:

C Pedestrian scale buildings - 2 storymaximum height

C Attractive landscaping including a variety

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of trees and shrubs (evergreen and deciduous)C Green space or lawn areasC Parking areas with landscaped islands and

green buffers from street rights-of-wayC Moderately sized parking areas in front of

retail propertiesC Durable building materials, such as brick,

for exterior elevationsC Regulated signage with uniformity of size;

monument signsC Architectural details such as clock towers,

cupolas and dormersC Res iden t i a l - s t y l e a r ch i t ec tu ra l

ornamentationC Traditional colors for building exteriors

and signageC Avoidance of garish color schemes and

generic corporate architecture for chainretail

C Limited access points to commercialproperties to enhance vehicular safety

C Campus-style design for business parkswith industrial/distribution facilities

C Inviting streetscapes which includesidewalks, decorative street lighting, streetfurniture, awnings and landscaping

VISION STATEMENT

An overall plan for a great community mustanswer the question what do we really want thiscommunity to be? The essential aspiration for theSpanish Lake community is to improve the qualityof life for its residents. The residents must face anumber of challenges today if they expect thecommunity to remain a livable and attractive placein the future. The following is a vision forSpanish Lake:

T To develop a strong community identityand a sense of pride among its residents.Spanish Lake should have a strongaesthetic appeal in both the commercialand residential areas. Thesecharacteristics should be publicized withinthe St. Louis region.

T The safety and health of Spanish Lakeresidents is of utmost importance. Thewell being of community members shouldbe ensured any time of day or night. Thisencompasses protection from crime, firehazards and maintaining a high quality ofutility services.

T An effective transportation systemconnects residents with activities, school,work and businesses. The mobility ofSpanish Lake residents must be enhancedthrough multimodal transportation to meetthis aim. Transit for motor vehicles,bicycles and pedestrians should beincluded .

T To develop a sustainable economic baseby retaining and attracting business whilebalancing the needs of both the businessand residential communities. The effectsof economic development on the characterof the community should also beconsidered.

T Our neighborhoods should be livableplaces with well-maintained homes.Residents should be able to take advantageof beautiful parks and numerousrecreational activities.

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GOALS FOR THE SPANISH LAKE COMMUNITY AREA STUDY

GOAL: Create a better sense of community and identity for Spanish Lake

OBJECTIVE: Develop community identity

STRATEGIES: Increase church involvement with the community and developchurch activities for teenagers.

Suggested Responsibility: Churches, residentsTimeframe: Spring 1999; On-going

Develop a public relations campaign to promote the area, includingpress releases for positive news from the Spanish Lake community.

Suggested Responsibility: Residents, consultantTimeframe: Fall 1998; On-going

Foster a closer working relationship with the Suburban Journal and St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers to improve reporting oncommunity activities.

Suggested Responsibility: Residents, Department of PlanningTimeframe: Fall 1998; On-going

Develop a newsletter and web page for the area. The Spanish Lakeweb page could be added onto existing websites such as St. LouisCountys web page on community profiles and/or the website for County municipalities through Village Profile (see examples atwww.villageprofile.com).

Suggested Responsibility: Residents, Department of PlanningTimeframe: Summer 1999

Improve dialogue and information flow between CountyGovernment and residents through frequent contacts betweencommunity leaders and St. Louis County staff.

Suggested Responsibility: Residents, St. Louis County

These goals, objectives, and strategies are a list of ideas generated at meetings with residents andtask force members. The feasibility of the objectives and strategies has not been determined.The goals are not necessarily listed in order of importance, however, the objectives and strategieshave been prioritized. As implementation of the plan occurs, the objectives and strategies and theorder in which they happen may have to be adjusted.

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DepartmentsTimeframe: Fall 1998; On-going

Form a community improvement association with 501(c) tax status.

Suggested Responsibility: Residents, Planning DepartmentTimeframe: Begin Spring 1999; Target date for incorporation ofassociation is Fall 1999.

Enhance cooperation between neighborhood associations to shareinformation and promote community unity. Schedule a jointmeeting of the various neighborhood groups to share action plans.

Suggested Responsibility: Residents and neighborhood associationsTimeframe: Spring 1999

Improve the cooperation between churches to encouragecommunity outreach. Schedule a group meeting of Spanish Lakechurch leaders to share their agendas for the community.

Suggested Responsibility: ChurchesTimeframe: Fall 1998; On-going

OBJECTIVE: Create events which will bring Spanish Lake residents together

STRATEGIES: Organize programs like Bridges to Racial Harmony involvingchurches and other community groups to celebrate racial diversityin Spanish Lake.

Suggested Responsibility: Churches, community groups, FOCUS St.LouisTimeframe: Fall 1999; On-going

Sponsor an annual picnic day at Spanish Lake County Park. Thetheme could be a celebration of the history of Spanish Lake. Aconcert and parade could be the featured attractions.

Suggested Responsibility: Residents, churches, neighborhoodimprovement association, businessesTimeframe: Fall 1999; On-going

Create a logo/symbol for Spanish Lake. Hold a design contest for

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development of the logo. Hire a professional graphics firm tofinalize design format. Create bumper stickers and signs with thenew logo promoting Spanish Lake. Explore possibility of creatingbanners to hang on light standards. Replace Spanish Lakewelcome sign at Bellefontaine and Larimore Roads.

Suggested Responsibility: Residents, County Planning Department,consultant, utility companies, Hazelwood PTO.Timeframe: Spring 1999; On-going

In addition to an annual event, develop more regular communityevents such as concerts in the park and boat races on Spanish Lake(e.g., the annual dragon boat race at Spanish Lake Park).

Suggested Responsibility: Residents, St. Louis County Departmentof Parks and RecreationTimeframe: Summer 1999; On-going

GOAL: Enhance the aesthetic appeal of Spanish Lake through beautification efforts.

OBJECTIVE: Create an annual community clean-up effort.

STRATEGIES: Have area businesses, or a newly formed neighborhoodimprovement association, sponsor a clean-up weekend.Neighborhood leaders should meet with City of St. Louis personnelwho are responsible for Operation Brightside to learn aboutorganizational issues. Volunteers could be sought throughchurches, schools and neighborhood block captains.

Suggested Responsibility: Residents, churches, schoolsTimeframe: Spring 1999

Annual community bulk waste pickup

Suggested Responsibility: St. Louis County Departments of Planning and Health; residentsTimeframe: Spring 1999 and on-going

OBJECTIVE: Develop more appealing commercial areas, particularly retail centers.

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STRATEGIES: Flower planters and decorative street lights should be installed inthe Bellefontaine Road commercial area.

Suggested Responsibility: St. Louis County Planning, EconomicCouncil, business ownersTimeframe: Summer 2000

Community gardens should be developed where land is available inrights-of-way or where willing land owners will permit.

Suggested Responsibility: ResidentsTimeframe: First community garden planted Spring 1998; future developments should be on-going

Target inspections by the St. Louis County Department of PublicWorks to determine building code violations and cite ownersaccordingly. Establish a mechanism for loans or grants for thosewho cannot afford to comply with requirements.

Suggested Responsibility: St. Louis County Council, St. Louis County Economic Council and Public Works Department Timeframe: Fall 1999

Establish guidelines for landscaping and aesthetics in commercialareas, especially Bellefontaine, Highway 367 and Dunn Road.

Suggested Responsibility: St. Louis County PlanningTimeframe: Summer 1999

Study the possibility of creating a Community Improvement District(CID).

Suggested Responsibility: St. Louis County Planning andEconomic CouncilTimeframe: Summer 1999

OBJECTIVE: Assist elderly residents with property maintenance.

STRATEGIES: Develop a community service program through churches andschools to assist elderly residents with either physical or financiallimitations with the upkeep of their yards. Explore use of theChristmas in April program for repairing residential propertiesof low-income homeowners.

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Suggested Responsibility: Churches and volunteersTimeframe: Spring 1999

Provide a list of contractors to Spanish Lake residents who requirehome improvements.

Suggested Responsibility: St. Louis County Older Residents Program (CORP), churchesTimeframe: On-going

OBJECTIVE: Stop illegal dumping in roadside ditches and on vacant lots.

STRATEGIES: Install No Littering signs indicating fine amounts for problem litterareas.

Suggested Responsibility: St. Louis County Departments ofHighways and Traffic; County PoliceTimeframe: Summer 1999.

GOAL: Promote the public safety and health of the Spanish Lake community.

OBJECTIVE: Lower crime rate

STRATEGIES: Have police on bicycles and foot patrol mingling with residents

Suggested Responsibility: St. Louis County Police Timeframe: On-going

Hold block parties and other activities to encourage neighbors to get to know one another.

Suggested Responsibility: Block Captains, Fire Protection District Timeframe: Summer 1999

Participate in National Neighborhood Night Out

Suggested Responsibility: Block Captains, St. Louis CountyPoliceTimeframe: August 1999 and annually thereafter

Open a police substation in Spanish Lake

Suggested Responsibility: St. Louis County Police

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Timeframe: To be determined by St. Louis County Police Department.

OBJECTIVE: Decrease fire hazard potential

STRATEGIES: Study the need for additional fire protection facilities orimprovements.

Suggested Responsibility: Spanish Lake Fire Protection District Timeframe: Fall 2000

Advertise the availability of the Spanish Lake Fire Protection Districts smoke detector program which provides free smoke detectors to the elderly and disabled. Promote awareness of the need for smoke detectors through the community newsletter and other civic organizations.

Suggested Responsibility: Neighborhood improvement associationand Spanish Lake Fire Protection DistrictTimeframe: Summer 1999

Eliminate safety problems at specific sites (e.g. illegal tankstorage).

Suggested Responsibility: St. Louis County Public Works Timeframe: Immediate and on-going

Have a collection for disposal of household hazardous waste.

Suggested Responsibility: Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) Timeframe: Summer 1999

OBJECTIVE: Maintain consistent, high quality utility service to all areas of Spanish Lake.

STRATEGIES: Require that dead tree removal and tree trimming program workperformed by utility companies be done in a way to maintain theareas attractiveness.

Suggested Responsibility: Utility companies and private ownersTimeframe: On-going

Improve water quality especially where water lines dead end.

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Suggested Responsibility: St. Louis County Water CompanyTimeframe: To be determined by St. Louis County WaterCompany

GOAL: Maintain a safe and efficient transportation system wi

spanish lake community area study

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