A proposed flea market won't be opening in Wright City anytime soon. Property owners of 25 acres located behind a building formerly occupied by Kaplan Lumber have withdrawn their request for a conditional use permit to operate a flea market, according to City Clerk Christine Martin. She had said the landowners were hesitant to spend money for a paved parking lot, a requirement for new businesses opening in the city. The permit application was filed by CGA Gold Group. The property owners listed on the application are Donald and Charlotte Schneider, Carter and Eula Martin, and Nick Nixon. The permit request was tabled by aldermen during the Nov. 12 meeting. The parking lot requirement was an expense Charlotte Schneider didn't expect. "You're comparing this to a business in the city that would be open seven days a week" she told the board Nov. 12. "We're talking about a field that will be used for a flea market. I don't compare this to someone who runs a typical business." At that time, since a land disturbance permit was needed for groundwork, city officials asked Schneider to take care of that and come back to the planning and zoning board for reconsideration. By that time, they added, they would review and possibly revise the ordinance if needed. Schneider planned on having the flea market open every Saturday beginning this spring. Vendors were going to be charged $15 weekly, with $5 of the fee going to the city. She was hoping to draw most of the same vendors that sell items in Wentzville on Sundays. The city's planning and zoning board approved the conditional use permit request on Oct. 19. The only stipulations were for the entrance road to be widened to 32 feet and for the property owners to revisit the planning and zoning board in six months. The parking lot ordinance, adopted in 1997, states that new or changes to parking areas including driveways, must be paved with asphalt or concrete. Schneider's concerns about the high price to pave a parking lot for the proposed flea market is not the first time the city ordinance has been questioned. In September, Steven Willis, the owner of S&W Auto Sales and USA Guns, also questioned the ordinance after he received a notice stating he was in violation of city ordinance by building a gravel parking lot. He claimed the gravel lot was there prior to him owning the property and was unaware that he needed city approval. Others pointed out the board has granted a conditional use permit for a temporary fireworks stand on a new gravel lot, while a church couldn't get a request approved for an expanded parking lot that was going to be gravel. Mayor Roy White and Alderman Tom Black had argued that the ordinance needs to be rewritten since it appears to be restricting businesses from opening in the city.