Wright City aldermen are withholding approval of a storage lot development near Wildcat Drive, at least temporarily, over concerns about disturbances to nearby properties.

A group of local partners is proposing a storage lot for up to 300 RVs, campers and boats in the area west of Wildcat Drive, behind the Shell gas station. The developers have been negotiating with city officials for at least two months over measures to prevent water runoff and light disturbance, as well as other smaller concerns.

The developers went through the process to request a conditional use permit (CUP) from aldermen in July, but were put on hold and told to prepare more detailed plans for fire suppression, water runoff and lighting.

“We, at times, have a water issue in our city, and stormwater from this property goes underneath Wildcat Drive and backs up to a subdivision,” Alderman Ramiz Hakim explained on July 22.

Aldermen also said they would like the developers to include measures to prevent the property from becoming an eyesore.

Shane Walterman, one of the development partners, agreed that the developers will take steps to block line of sight to the lot, including a vegetative screen and additional commercial buildings on the south side of the lot.

On Aug. 26, the developers returned with a more detailed plan for their lighting pattern, stormwater retention and visual screening around the lot. They said they had addressed all the previous concerns that had been expressed to avoid impacting their neighbors.

“Our concern is to be low profile. We know that there’s neighborhoods around there. We don’t want to be lights shining bright as a huge parking lot there. We felt like we did our due diligence there,” commented developer Christopher Dahl.

But as the group explained their plan for stormwater management, city leaders said some of their water concerns remain. Under the plan, a retention basin would hold extra water runoff diverted from the new paved lot, preventing water from flowing away any faster than it did before.

Although the flow rate won’t change, Mayor Dan Rowden commented that the total amount of water leaving the property could still increase if the water flow lasts longer than it did before. That could still exacerbate drainage issues in the area, with neighborhoods and two nearby school properties being of particular concern to Rowden.

The developers explained that their plan is to ensure water draining from their lot flows to a larger detention basin that already serves the two schools. Rowden replied that they should seek the blessing of the Wright City School District before increasing the amount of water going into the basin.

City Administrator Jim Schuchmann said resolving that issue between property owners is key to the development.

“That’s a question that needs to be answered: Is the school district going to accept that discharge into their retention basin?” Schuchmann said.

City Attorney Paul Rost advised that the board of aldermen can require a letter of agreement between the developers and the school district as a condition to approving the development.

Aldermen directed the developers to provide additional planning information and secure a letter of agreement with the school district before any action is taken to approve or deny the project.

“We’re just trying to be fair to everybody. We want to make sure that we’re not creating another problem for another group,” Rowden commented.

Dale Schaper, who owns the land proposed for development, complained that city leaders are holding the developers to an unfair standard.

“The hoops these men are having to jump through here, they ought to be getting a time card for as much time as they’re spending here with you,” he told the aldermen.