Orscheln Farm and Home is planning to build a new store building in Warrenton that will share a plaza with the Schnucks grocery store.

The store will be more than 39,000 square feet and will be directly north of Schnucks and south of Interstate 70, according to a site plan provided to Warrenton City Hall.

Orscheln representative Joe Snodgrass explained that the new building will replace the old Orscheln store during two discussions with city officials in October.

“This new store will probably be more than twice the size of that store and will look a whole lot better,” Snodgrass noted. He added that Orscheln and Schnucks have been working out plans for the facility for about a year.

In order to build the store, Orscheln required a vote of approval from the Warrenton Board of Aldermen certifying that plans for the building meet city code requirements. Aldermen unanimously voted to support the project on Oct. 18.

Only one major concern over the project was presented to the aldermen, which was the question of whether Orscheln should be allowed to use its parking lot for periodic outdoor merchandise displays. Members of the Warrenton Planning and Zoning Commission, a citizen advisory board, noted earlier this month that Orscheln's site  plan just barely has enough parking spaces to meet minimum city requirements.

Planning commission members recommended that the city prohibit any use of the parking lot for merchandise displays. However, aldermen chose not to adopt that requirement after Snodgrass informed them that Orscheln and Schnucks have an agreement that will allow Orscheln customers to use extra spaces in the Schnucks parking area whenever needed. 

Snodgrass also preemptively addressed another concern with social and cultural relevance to Warrenton: protection of a single Indian trail marking tree that was preserved when the Schnucks lot was cleared for development.

Snodgrass said Orscheln had contacted arborists to assess the condition of the tree, which is at the north end of the property, and make recommendations for its preservation. The tree is showing signs of distress since the land was cleared, so Orscheln will take extra steps to improve the tree’s health and prevent any disturbance, Snodgrass said.

He explained that no construction equipment will be allowed within 60 feet of the tree, and that arborists will remove dead branches and provide soil treatment to promote new root growth in order to prolong the life of the tree.

“There’s no guarantee on that, but we’re willing to do that to try to help,” he commented. “We want to be good stewards of the community.”