Kirkwood Passes Protections for LGBT Community

The council voted unanimously in favor of an ordinance that protects residents from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Kirkwood City Council voted unanimously in favor of an ordinance Thursday night that protects residents from discrimination based on sexuality and gender identity. The Kirkwood Human Rights Commission (HRC) has spent the past year working on the ordinance that prohibits discrimination relating to employment, housing and public spaces. City councilors initially expressed their support of the bill during a public work session where Maggie Duwe, vice-chair of the Human Rights Commission, spoke to the importance of protecting Kirkwood's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trangender (LGBT) community and noted discrimination she has faced in Kirkwood as a gay resident. During its first reading, the bill met with support and opposition and such was …

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Kirkwood Considers Ban on Funeral Protests

The Kirkwood City Council will vote tonight on a bill that prohibits picketing within 300 feet of a memorial service.

The Kirkwood City Council will take its first vote tonight on a bill that outlaws funeral protests within 300 feet of a memorial service. The bill is going before the council in light of an appellate court ruling that upheld a similar ordinance in Manchester. SEE: Manchester Reacts to Court's Ruling in Westboro Funeral Protest Case "According to the courts, it's a legitimate restriction on first amendment rights. I certainly agree with it, because I feel that this is a grieving time for many families," Mayor Art McDonnell said. McDonnell said that Kirkwood was waiting for the ruling in the Manchester case before pursuing its own bill.  "I'm glad the courts upheld Manchester's law. It protects the rights of people who are grieving but also …

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Glendale Council Meets for First Time After Last Week's Shooting

The mayor and council members praised city police and staff for their handling of their situation.

The large, white, TV news vans with their long, parabolic antennas were no longer parked in front of Glendale City Hall Monday night. For the last week, the vans had become a fixture of city hall since the tragedy of July 30, in which police believe Glendale resident Catherine Murch took the lives of her two children and that of her own that morning.  The bodies of the Murch family were already put to rest, the investigation is nearly complete, and the dozen or so reporters who crowded this small municipality for days moved on to other, perhaps bigger, stories. In a nearly empty city hall (only a dad with his Boy Scout son were in attendance), the Glendale City Council met for its regular meeting Monday night, with several topics to …

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Mobil Expansion Likely Topic at Candidate Forum

Residents impacted by the Mobil expansion in Kirkwood plan to question candidates about the development at a municipal candidate forum Tuesday night.

Updated at 1:13 p.m. Residents who spoke out against the expansion of the Kirkwood Mobil station are speaking out again, this time in favor of politicians who they feel will listen to their concerns. Signs in support of incumbent Kirkwood City Council candidates Gina Jaksetic and Gerry Biedenstein have sprouted in yards along Simmons Avenue and Geyer Roads. Both voted against the expansion of the gas station. Signs for mayoral candidate Joseph Godi line the streets as well. A group of residents who actively opposed the development intend to question candidates for Mayor of Kirkwood and those seeking positions on the Kirkwood City Council about the expansion at tonight's candidate forum. The forum will start at 7 p.m. in Meramec's Student …

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Notable Neighbors

Self-Appointed Town Crier Keeps Readers in Loop Through Email

An 84-year-old Kirkwood man's hobby is helping neighbors stay informed.

A modern-day “town crier” has built up a following for his editorialized emails about Kirkwood issues. “Kmail” goes out regularly to more than 1,700 addresses, keeping Keith Williams’ readers informed about city council decisions, zoning issues and other local dealings that affect them. For Williams, the retired owner of a company that made tools for the mining industry, it’s a hobby that he enjoys -- even though keeping the address list up-to-date can be quite a headache for the 84-year-old Kirkwood man. “I can’t help myself when I get stirred up, when I see something that I think is not good for Kirkwood and for homeowners and taxpayers,” Williams said. Kmail got its start in 2005 when Williams gathered an email list of neighbors to keep…

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Mobil Goes 'On the Run' With Council Approval

City councilors voted 4-3 to turn the Kirkwood Mobil gas station at North Geyer and Manchester roads into a Mobil on the Run, a move that has met with the disapproval of some neighboring residents.

Kirkwood will be getting a bigger, fancier gas station at North Geyer and Manchester roads, but not everybody is happy about it. More than 50 residents attended Thursday night's meeting of Kirkwood City Council to protest the expansion of the existing Mobil station at the busy intersection. The expansion would increase the number of islands at the station from four to eight and include a new convenience store. Wallis Companies, which owns the station, anticipate a 100 percent increase in gas revenue and a 50 percent increase in convenience store revenue. Ten residents addressed council about the development during Thursday's public comments section of the meeting. Many expressed concerns about noise and congestion. But every resident, …

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Residents Ask Council to Oppose Mobil Plan

Those who spoke at at a public hearing Thursday said development will negatively impact property values and the quality of life for residents who live near the gas station at Manchester and North Geyer roads.

Residents asked members of the Kirkwood City Council to oppose a resolution to approve a special use exception permit for the Mobil gas station at the corner of Manchester and North Geyer roads, Thursday night. Safety concerns, decreased property values and a lack of a traffic study were some of the issues raised by the 16 Kirkwood residents or business owners who presented to councilors. "We already have a huge traffic problem," said Barb Cullmann, of 1043 Simmons Ave. "We don't need anything bigger than what's already there. ... Let's not hurt residents because we want more commercial. We would appreciate a traffic study." The proposed expansion calls for the demolition of business space at 1136-1150 Manchester Road and an extension of …

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Nancy Killoren

12:25 am on Friday, December 16, 2011

Ron, those business owners elected to rent space for their businesses and now the owner wants to sell and you tell him he can't. If it is such a great spot for them why doesn't one or all of them combined step up and buy the building. How do you know this will be a serious safety concern and a traffic nightmare, have the residents on Simmons and Geyer done their own traffic study to support this …   more ›

P&Z Cries Foul Over $1 Million-Plus Parking Proposal

Members of the Kirkwood Planning and Zoning Commission voiced concerns about a proposal before the Kirkwood City Council that would substantially add parking to Downtown Kirkwood through a $1.25 million dollar purchase.

An emergency vote called by the Kirkwood City Council Sept. 22 approved a proposal to buy the old Mel Bay Music Center of the Kirkwood Building at 113 West Jefferson Ave. and property at 107 West Jefforson to develop additional parking in Downtown Kirkwood, city council member Gerry Biedenstein told Kirkwood Patch. But the proposal never received a review or recommendation from the Kirkwood Planning and Zoning Commission. Several commissioners expressed concerns about being left out of the loop on the purchase that would cost the city $1.25 million and have a significant impact on parking in Downtown Kirkwood. The purchase was something that should have been reviewed and approved by their commission before the city council called a vote, …

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Council to Gianino’s: More Info Needed Before Downtown Move

Gianino’s must resolve parking and trash issues before the Kirkwood City Council will consider granting the Downtown restaurant a special use exemption permit.

A new Italian restaurant proposed at 121 N. Kirkwood Rd. became the center of attention at Tuesday’s meeting of the Kirkwood City Council as Downtown Kirkwood retailers voiced concerns about the proposed establishment during a public hearing. Bill Gianino hopes that the space that formerly housed three retail stores, will be the new location for the second Gianino’s, an Italian restaurant located in Sunset Hills. But Jim Summa, owner of Summa Jewelers at nearby 115 W. Argonne Drive, said he had concerns about trash disposal and parking in Downtown Kirkwood. Jim Roeser, vice chair of Kirkwood’s Planning and Zoning Commission, said that the proposed additional dumpster behind the building damages the area. "It looks terrible," Roeser said, …

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Webster Groves Resolution in Works to Oppose North-South Connector

Mayor says County has not justified need for road project.

The Webster Groves City Council will draft a resolution that expresses its concerns about proposed South County Connector routes as outlined in the project's environmental impact statement (EIS). The decision to draft the resolution follows a public presentation of the South County Connector EIS last week, which sparked an outcry from residents who fear homes in the northeast section of the city could be seized via eminent domain. The presentation was of such concern that Mayor Gerry Welch and councilors insisted on drafting a resolution to express their unhappiness with the plans to St. Louis County officials. "I have yet to see the one study or piece of information that expresses why we need this so bad," Welch said. The connecting road …

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