Kirkwood residents express concerns over Manchester-Lindbergh redevelopment area
“The possible use of eminent domain in a redevelopment area near Manchester and Lindbergh roads re-ignited concerns among neighboring residents at a meeting Thursday night.
The city intends to seek proposals shortly for redevelopment of a large commercial area at the crossroads of the two major thoroughfares. Residents in the adjacent neighborhood east of Lindbergh and south of Manchester have been closely monitoring the city’s actions.
On Aug. 1, the neighbors were elated when the City Council voted that residents’ properties could not be torn down as part of a redevelopment area. The council also specified that it would not grant eminent domain.
But on Thursday city officials proposed a change in wording to say that a developer could ask to use condemnation to acquire properties in the commercial development area. The change also would allow the developer to ask to condemn properties zoned residential but now being used for commercial purposes. That caused consternation among residents that some rental houses in their neighborhood could be at risk and that the development would encroach into their quiet residential area.”
Gillerman, Margaret. St. Louis Post Dispatch 6 September 2013.