Big Move-in Day for Watercolor Villas Residents

The day has finally arrived for Arnold's seniors. On Tuesday, May 1, they will be able to move into their energy-efficient residences at Watercolor Villas across from .

Please slow down, be aware of moving trucks on the road, and watch for families with children helping their grandparents along Old Lemay Ferry Road.

Also watch for traffic near the intersection of Church Road and Old Lemay Ferry Road or the intersection of Missouri State Road and Old Lemay Ferry Road.

Moving trucks, vans and numerous cars will likely turn from that intersection to approach the seniors' apartment complex.

Watercolor Villas is an apartment complex exclusively for people ages 55 years and older. The monthly rent is $398, said Patrick W. Werner of Arapaho Development, who helped develop the complex, in an email to ArnoldPatch.

All apartments are energy efficent, use geothermal heating and cooling and have solar panels to keep utility bills low.

The developer provides the dishwasher, range, refrigerator, microwave, washer and dryer in each apartment.

All the apartments have been rented, Werner said.

Mayor Ron Counts said he lobbied for the complex a little more than a year ago during a developer's meeting with numerous cities in St. Louis County, Jefferson County and throughout the state.

After listening to all other cities' councilmen presentations Counts won the apartment complex for Arnold by saying, "Arnold is a safe community for people to live in."

The other cities' councilmen said they would increase their police force if Watercolor Villas was awarded to their respective cities.

"The waiting list to get into Watercolor Villas is more than 300 people long," said Ward 1 Councilman Christine 'Cricky' Lang in a City Council meeting on April 19.