Two new businesses will be setting up shop on Veterans Memorial Parkway in Warrenton, but one received opposition from two city aldermen.

Lewis Family Garage and Cat 5 Construction were granted approval of site plans and conditional use permits July 21 to open in existing buildings on Veterans Memorial Parkway, east of Highway 47.

Lewis Family Garage will provide automotive repair services out of a currently unused auto shop at 907 E. Veterans Memorial Parkway. The shop is just east of Chic Lumber. Aldermen voted 6-0 to approve a permit for the business.

Owner Eric Lewis said the garage will do “light- and medium-duty” vehicle repair.

“We won’t be doing any heavy, big construction vehicles,” he commented.

Due to limited parking at the site, aldermen restricted Lewis from adding any new working bays to the facility, beyond the two it already has. They are also requiring all vehicles at the shop to be parked indoors overnight.

Cat 5 Construction will take over a former car sales lot at 1203 E. Veterans Memorial Parkway. The construction company will use part of its lot for an office, and part for equipment and material storage, enclosed by a fence.

A representative of Cat 5 said the construction company has an office near Kansas City, and has been renting a temporary office in Warren County while expanding its business in the area. The company does projects throughout the central Missouri I-70 corridor.

Although the business itself received no criticism, Ward 2 Alderman Gary Auch voiced opposition to Cat 5’s proposed location along the busy traffic corridor of Veterans Memorial and Interstate 70. Auch believes that area of the city should be developed with retail and commercial businesses, rather than a service contractor.

“As we take property with highway visibility, and we turn it into something that doesn’t generate sales tax revenue, I think it hurts the city’s growth potential in the long run,” Auch explained.

Auch and Ward 3 Alderman Gary Miller both voted against approval for Cat 5. Despite their objection, the business received approval with a 4-2 vote.

Cat 5’s approval includes a requirement for a screening fence around its storage lot, with additional greenery to screen the lot from traffic on Interstate 70. A representative said the fence will be made of chain link, but dressed with additional slats to have a nice appearance.