A committee of citizen advisors has voted to oppose construction of a 99-unit apartment building at the Shoppes at Warrenton mall, potentially setting up a rejection vote when the issue comes before Warrenton aldermen next week.

The Warrenton Planning and Zoning Commission, during an Oct. 6 public hearing, voted 6-1 to oppose a request from mall owner Raul Walters Properties to reclassify an undeveloped plot of land to allow the proposed four-story apartments. The plot, which is between the mall and Rural King, is currently zoned exclusively for commercial use, meaning residences aren’t allowed there.

Raul Walters president Art King explained that the apartments would be part of ongoing efforts to revitalize the once-thriving mall.

“We bought the shopping center about five years ago, and have had a pretty difficult time leasing it up,” King explained, adding that the mall is about 75 percent occupied right now. He said his firm believes more housing closer to the mall will accelerate commerce there and attract more businesses. 

“Tenants of the apartments could walk over to the shops, eat dinner there, have all their services right there within walking distance,” King said. “We are hopeful that bringing in a residential component to that shopping center will actually help bolster the sales of that whole shopping center.”

When prompted about the price of rent, King said the various one- and two-bedroom units would range from less than $1,000 to more than $1,800.

Members of the planning commission identified several main problems with the apartment proposal:

1) The apartments don’t fit within Warrenton’s comprehensive plan, the city’s vision for orderly growth and development. That plan calls for commercial areas to be clustered along major highways, while residences are set further back. This is a key issue for Warrenton’s development, as commerce along the highway is a major source of tax revenue that funds public services.

2) Parking for the apartments would be located in the mall parking area that Rural King currently uses for overflow parking. Art King said the store’s overflow traffic, most likely employees, would simply park further away on the mall lot, but commissioners questioned whether that would still be considered adequate parking for Rural King.

3) The overall housing density at the apartments, 99 homes on 3 acres, would be far higher and have far less green space than other apartments the city has recently approved. The only green spaces would be a central courtyard and a strip of land behind the mall on a hillside adjacent to the railroad tracks.

4) Several city tax incentives have been directed to the mall to spur commercial development. This specific lot was previously identified as a future restaurant or store, but would now be permanently converted to housing.

After several minutes of planning commission members expressing these criticisms during the public hearing, King seemed to lose his patience and asked if there were actual questions he could answer to explain the need for the project.

“I haven’t heard any questions yet from any one of you. If you just want to give speeches, I don’t need to be here,” King stated. 

He said large green space isn’t necessary because the housing won’t be marketed for families with children, that this lot is in the back corner of the mall and therefore is hardest to market for a store or restaurant, and that apartments will bolster the economic performance of the rest of the mall.

The apartment proposal now goes to the Warrenton Board of Aldermen for a new public discussion and a final vote. That’s scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 6 p.m. in the Walton Street Annex Building.