The Warrenton Board of Aldermen has granted approval for a new Orscheln Farm and Home store to be constructed on the north side of the Schnucks store on Veterans Memorial Parkway.

The new store will be more than 39,000 square feet and will replace the Orscheln store on Highway M.

Work to build the store will require significant earthmoving and retaining wall construction to build a large enough parking lot, said Orscheln representative Joe Snodgrass. He added that the project will also involve an attempt at preserving and rejuvenating a historical Indian trail marking tree that stands at the north end of where the parking lot will be.

Warrenton aldermen granted unanimous approval to the project with a vote on Oct. 18. However, during the preceding discussion, Snodgrass asked aldermen to refrain from passing one restriction that was recommended by Warrenton’s citizen planning and zoning board.

Planning board members earlier this month advised the board of aldermen to prohibit outdoor merchandise displays in the parking lot due to concerns about losing necessary parking spots.

Snodgrass told aldermen that Orscheln has an agreement with Schnucks, which has more parking than it needs, that will allow Orscheln customers to use Schnucks parking spots whenever Orscheln has “seasonal” outdoor displays.

“Temporary outdoor sales basically entails using about 18 of the parking spaces that will be next to the retaining wall on the north side,” Snodgrass said. “The temporary area would mainly be used for utility trailers, and maybe some small farm equipment.”

Following that, aldermen declined to add the prohibition on outdoor merchandise displays, instead only requiring that Orscheln’s outdoor lighting not create a nuisance for drivers on Interstate 70 to the north.
Snodgrass said project managers plan to have construction of the new store done by September 2023.

“We have to do that because the lease is up on our existing store that we have here right now, so we’ve got to get out of there,” he commented.
Snodgrass was also asked to comment on an announcement from the prior week that Tractor Supply, the nation’s largest “rural lifestyle” retailer, is buying the Orscheln Farm and Home retail chain.

“You guys are keeping the Orscheln name?” asked Alderman Jeff Jaspering.

“Right now, we are,” Snodgrass answered. “At this point in time, we’re almost confident that it will be a Tractor Supply, we just don’t know when. It’s too early to tell whether they’re going to put new signage on it, or whether they’re going to try to keep the Orscheln entity out there, kind of like what Bass Pro and Cabela’s did.”