The Warren County planning and zoning board has given approval for a hardware distributor to open shop at a building on Highway OO.

The planning board voted on Jan. 19 to grant a conditional use permit (CUP) to Marco Screw Products, a distributor of fasteners, machine parts and other hardware. 

Owner Lawrence O’Neal said his third-generation small business has been located in Chesterfield since 1970, but they want to relocate to Warren County. He said the business has five employees, and mainly sells products to manufacturers in St. Louis and the surrounding counties.

O’Neal’s business is seeking to purchase and use an existing commercial building on Highway OO, just east of Highway M. The 13,000-square-foot facility was previously used as a distribution center and is currently vacant, O’Neal said. 

He added that the business will typically get a daily visit from a delivery truck and periodic deliveries on a 20-30 foot tractor-trailer.

 “We’re very committed to Warren County, so much so that we are moving our residence to Warren County as well,” O’Neal added.

County planning and zoning administrator Bill Roemer said his office had no history of issues regarding traffic or noise from the previous distribution business at the facility.

Marco Screw Products is purchasing the commercial building from the company that owns the neighboring Cedar Lake Cellars winery. The winery’s proprietors have a habit of purchasing surrounding properties in order to preserve the rural character of the area.

Cedar Lake Cellars proprietor Carl Bolm spoke on behalf of the new business Jan. 19, and recommended quick permit approval.

“This will be the first property that we’ve sold in over 20 years. ... Our number one goal, if we were going to sell that property, was to vet anyone that would be purchasing it,” Bolm said. He commented that he visited Marco Screw Products’ current facility in Chesterfield and was happy with what he saw.

“I can only hope that Warren County continues to attract the quality of business such as this,” Bolm said.

Only one neighboring property owner raised a concern regarding the business, related to whether delivery truck traffic on Highway OO would cause wear and tear on the road. O’Neal, the business’s owner, replied that traffic wouldn’t be much more significant than home deliveries that already come through the area.

Planning board member Brian Nothstine questioned whether the property’s entry drive is adequate for tractor-trailer trucks. O’Neal replied that he would seek to install a new driveway upon purchasing the property. County Attorney Mark Vincent, meanwhile, noted that because Highway OO is a state-owned road, the county can’t mandate the installation or widening of any driveways.

Planning board members voted unanimously to approve the permit for Marco Screw Products with minimal conditions.