ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. — On Monday evening, the St. Charles County Council made the decision to table a massive project.
It's a proposed subdivision off Highway DD that's caused some conflict.
Editor's note: The above video was published prior to the council's vote on Monday.
The developer KM Investment Group IV proposed a plan to bring a 299-acre subdivision in unincorporated St. Charles County, bringing hundreds of homes.
The homes closest together will be near Frontier Middle School and get further apart down Highway DD.
“Our overall density is 1.57 units per acre well within what the master plan calls for 1 to 4 units per acre in over 87% of our site,” Brad Goss, developer representative, said during a meeting in early July.
The developers said they meet the county's 2030 master plan and there's a traffic study showing they would have to add in turn lanes and widen the road to keep up with demand.
Defiance residents Shawn Mann and Bill Carrier tell 5 On Your Side, they love their community for what it is.
"People love the rural area out here on Highway DD. They want to preserve what they have," Mann said.
"We thought this is the place to retire. We appreciate the quiet and rural aspects of this," Carrier added.
Now, they said they are worried about potential changes.
"Our developments have typically been on 3-acre lots in order to preserve that rural area, allow the wild life to move around freely. We know the development is going to occur, the question is ... it the right type of development?" Carrier asked.
They said they believe this will bring a high-density development, which means less space between houses.
Some residents said they worry about more cars on the already busy road. Carrier said he is concerned about this cluttering the calmness for wildlife.
"We're really afraid of losing all of that," Carrier added.
On Monday, the council voted to table the decision.
Advocates are pleading for both sides to meet and find common ground.
"We hope we can move forward with a better proposal from the developer to preserve the way of rural life out here," Mann said.
The developers said they are working with the Wentzville and Francis Howell School Districts since these are the two school districts that would be impacted.
Wentzville School District sent this statement:
This development in combination with other large communities in the area will collectively have a significant impact on the District. The secondary schools in that region of our District are already at or nearing capacity. Our teams did meet to discuss the development within the last few weeks; it is critical that school districts have a seat at the table with developers, municipalities, and County government to properly plan for the future.
Francis Howell School District sent this statement:
Any time a new development is planned in our area, we consider potential impacts on student enrollment, building capacity and traffic flow. The elementary school that serves that portion of the Francis Howell School District is nearing capacity and would require an addition to accommodate an influx of new families. Rest assured we will be watching closely as this planned project unfolds and stand ready to deliver a high-quality education to any new students our District may welcome in the coming years.