PLEASE READ - Notice of appeal for 3130 Gravois, Joseph Kriegesmann d/b/a COTB LLC

[Linda Hennigh]

I am sending this email to inform you that the Benton Park West Neighborhood Association (BPWNA) has filed an appeal requesting that the conditional use permit issued to Joseph Kriegesmann d/b/a COTB LLC, to occupy 3130 Gravois as an educational safety seminar business with inside storage of maintenance supplies and 2 trailers be revoked.  A new hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 26, 1:30 p.m. in room 208, City Hall.

 I have listed the events of the past 8 months below that led us to this decision.  If you are in favor of having their conditional use permit revoked, we would appreciate your support.  Your presence at the hearing would be greatly appreciated.  If you cannot attend, a letter stating that you support the revoking of their conditional use permit would be very beneficial.  Please address to Ms. Mary Hart Burton, Zoning Administrator or To Whom It May Concern if you wish.  I am attaching the board’s letter and a petition.  Feel free to use any of the verbiage in the 3^rd paragraph and send your letter (and petition if you choose to collect signatures) to me, Linda Hennigh, 3140 Oregon Avenue, St. Louis MO 63118 or attach it to an email and return to me.  I have been asked to collect the documents and turn them over to the alderman and the Board of Adjustment prior to the hearing.

Also, a group of concerned residents will be meeting on Saturday, October 15, 9:00 a.m. in the Salvation Army parking lot at the corner of California and Arsenal to circulate petitions so that the surrounding neighbors have a chance to voice their opinion. 

Thank you for your help,

Linda Hennigh, President

Summary of 3130 Gravois, Joseph Kriegesmann d/b/a COTB LLC

1.        February 2011, we noticed cars parked at 3130 and on Clowder House property at 3136-38 Gravois from Friday evening until Sunday morning

.

2.       Joseph Kriegesmann introduced himself to Diane Hurwitz, President of Clowder House Foundation, and me.  He informed us that he was the new owner of the building and owner of a construction business which would be moving into 3130 Gravois from the Lemp Brewery.  I invited him to our neighborhood meeting and/or board meeting if he needed a letter of support for zoning etc.

 

3.       March 2011, Alderman Craig Schmid notified us that Mr. Kriegesmann, d/b/a/ COTB LLC (Clan of the Barbarian) was applying for “events” so there would be a conditional use hearing sometime in the near future.  This is a normal event in which the owner is notified that a letter of support from the neighborhood association would be a benefit.

 

4.       A representative of COTB pulled the “events” from the application, therefore no conditional use hearing was held.

 

5.       April 30^th an irate resident sent me an email asking if I knew there was a “bondage club” in BPW and on  May 17^th sent me a link to this RFT article

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2011/05/bdsm_club_the_facility_st_louis.php

6.       May 19^th a conditional use hearing was scheduled for “Kingdom Stone Fabrication (c/o Dem Siu at 4120 Louis St., St. Louis, MO  63116”, a granite storage business at the same location.  I went to the hearing, no mention was made of any other use of the building, and we supported this business.  However for some reason they never moved in.

 

7.       COTB application was revised again to include “an educational safety seminar business with inside storage of maintenance supplies and 2 trailers”.  A conditional use hearing was scheduled for July 28, 2011

 

8.       July 21 BPWNA general meeting, attended by Mr. Kriegesmann, as the upcoming conditional use hearing was being announced, he rose, stormed out of the building while threatening to sue the BPWNA, the aldermen, and the NSO.

 

9.       July 28, 2011 a conditional use hearing was held.  BPWNA, Craig Schmid and Ken Ortmann wrote letters of opposition.  Alderman Schmid and NSO Barbara Potts also testified against granting the conditional use permit and produced significant amounts of material revealing the true nature of the enterprise.

 

10.   September 6, 2011 we received a letter announcing approval and issuance of a conditional use permit along with an appeal application should we feel aggrieved by their decision.

 

11.   This article came out in the Post-Dispatch and stltoday.com

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/article_895a3212-d34a-11e0-b63a-0019bb30f31a.html#ixzz1XhRWuDjb

 

12.   An emergency board meeting was held.  It was decided to send an email to surrounding neighborhoods, schools, churches and business to see if there was support for an appeal.  All responses received were in favor of an appeal.  The situation was also explained at the BPWNA general membership meeting on September 15.  Support for appeal was unanimous.

 

13.   Dennis Ruckman, Applied Environmental Services, 3100 Gravois contacted me immediately having attended one of the events at this facility and expressed that he feels this use will negatively impact the value of the $1.5 million historical rehab that he completed last year on his building.  He wanted to file the appeal so we decided to file jointly and did so on September 20, 2011.

 

Linda Hennigh
President, BPWNA
(314)771-2161

 

BPW Holiday Shopping Bazaar

November 12, 2011, 10:00am - 4:00pm  ** Location: 2832 Arsenal Ave, STL

 

Benton Park West Website: http://www.BentonParkWest.org/

[Linda Hennigh]

I would like to thank everyone for supporting the Benton Park West residents in this matter.  The hearing was yesterday.  17 of you sent letters of opposition that to the Board of Adjustment.  A large group attended in person and seven of you spoke to the board in support of the appeal.  After 1 1/5 hours of testimony, the BOA took about 10 minutes to make an immediate decision in favor of BPW and Dennis Ruckman. 

 

It seems like the appeal will not be appealed and Kreigsmann is in the process of moving to an industrially zoned location where he will not have to go through the zoning process (getting names of support from 51% of the neighbors close to the facility) which is what he failed to do in this case.

 

Thank you again, especially to those of you who took time to write a letter and those who took off work to attend the hearing.   

 

Linda Hennigh
President, BPWNA
(314)771-2161

 

BPW Holiday Shopping Bazaar

November 12, 2011, 10:00am - 4:00pm  ** Location: 2832 Arsenal Ave, STL

 

Benton Park West Website: http://www.BentonParkWest.org/

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[r j]

Thank you Linda!  for ALL of your hard work and diligence!

 

 

 

BPW Holiday Shopping Bazaar

November 12, 2011, 10:00am - 4:00pm  ** Location: 2832 Arsenal Ave, STL

 

Benton Park West Fundraiser: https://AromaGifts.scentsy.us/Buy 

Benton Park West Website: http://www.BentonParkWest.org/

 

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Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps, if you are not willing to move your feet!!