No Word on 'Spruce Up' Construction Progress

The Arnold City Council is waiting for Tim McKeever to submit final construction plans for his business, Spruce Up Scaping, located near Interstate 55 and Richardson Road.

In April 2012, the council decided to postpone a vote that could have closed the company due its lack of a building structure for business operations.

McKeever received a zoning ordinance in 2009 allowing him to construct the needed building. By March 2012, no construction had occurred on the business property.

McKeever attended an April 5, 2012 council meeting and the council decided to give McKeever another chance to keep his business in this difficult economy.

The Council gave McKeever until Sept. 11, 2012 to provide construction plans, receive city approval, construct the building and occupy it.

If McKeever is unable to obtain an occupancy permit for his company’s proposed building by deadline, he would have 60 hours to vacate the business location, Community Development Director Mary Holden said.

Holden said her department received tentative construction plans from McKeever earlier this year and sent suggested changes to him. But no further communication occurred between McKeever and Arnold , she said during the City Council work session on July 12.

If McKeever missed the deadline, he  could apply for another zoning ordinance, Holden said.

McKeever would begin a new set of public hearings before the Arnold Zoning Commission and City Council for his new plans.

The commission and the council would need to vote to approve McKeever’s new application request.

“You can’t feel sorry for the man when he didn’t have the decency to contact the city and say ‘Hey I’m struggling financially here, please give me some time,’ ” Ward 3 Councilman Paul Freese said.

Ward 3 Councilman Phil Amato said McKeever must update City Hall on construction progress in order to receive commission and council support.

Ward 1 Councilman Doris Borgelt said she doubts McKeever needs a building for his business. “He just needs a place to park his trucks, there’s no retail business there, it’s strictly wholesale.”

Ward 2 Councilman Bill Moritz said, “The neighbors are complaining because the berm surrounding the company is not sheltering them from business noise.”