Affton Community Leader: Affton's Clock is Ticking

Past-president of the Affton Community Involvement Association Larry Stone plans to meet with a member of County Executive Charlie Dooley's staff soon to talk about Affton's economic development.

He wrote this, in preparation for his meeting. He entitled it, "It’s Not Too Late, But the Clock is ticking!"

What do you think?

If Affton was its own municipality it could better control its own zoning, public works, planning, etc. But unfortunately Affton had its chance to incorporate and blew it…many years back.  As part of unincorporated St. Louis County, we have since relied on St. Louis County Government as relates to planning, economic development, public works, and other services.

Has the recession negatively impacted economic development in Affton? Absolutely. But, even in the pre-recession period we were faring no better. The County and the now extinct Affton Community Betterment Federation developed an Affton Community Plan.  Two residential areas were targeted and some new in-fill housing was built. Along the business district, some businesses used some grant monies for store front canopies, some trees were planted and some flower containers were strategically placed. Some residential streets were repaved, and property maintenance efforts were stepped up. The trees died and the flower containers were maintained by some Garden Club ladies until alas most of the containers were either damaged beyond repair or were stolen. The Affton Community Plan was produced in the year 2002. It is now more than a decade old and is no longer relevant.

Out of frustration, when federal stimulus monies were announced three members of the Affton Community Involvement Association (ACIA) and our then Councilperson Barb Fraser met with the Executive Assistant to the County Executive regarding stimulus funds for Affton. He picked up the phone and called the Director of Planning and asked him “What about Affton?” The Director’s response was “What about Affton?”  We knew immediately that even though we had so called shovel ready projects, stimulus monies would not be coming our way. What monies did come to the county were earmarked for the northward extension of Hwy 141 much to the dismay not only of the the citizens of Affton, but many other unincorporated areas of the county, not to mention many individual municipalities.

Economic Development has to a degree become arrested development in Affton.  Vacant store fronts abound across the landscape. Two Catholic schools have shuttered (St. George & Seven Holy Founders) and the Rooftop Church at Valcour and Heege is moving to west county. 

What is new are a few diners, the expansion of a pawn shop into a combination pawn shop/shooting range/BBQ place, and the placement by CBS Outdoor of a monster e-billboard at one of our most prominent intersections (with no ability to hold a public hearing related to the matter of zoning), etc.

Here are just a few instances where community activism and involvement has played a key role in maintaining a vibrant community:

• Nestle decided to close its plant on Valcour Road. The ACIA contacted Nestle and alerted our then state senator. Our state senator immediately called both the State and County Departments of Economic Development. The outcome: Kerry Company purchased the plant and some 100 jobs were saved. 

• The ACIA worked with our former state senator, gathered volumes of signatures on a petition and together achieved the acceleration (by three years) of the planned re-building by MO-dot of Gravois Road         

• Widespread community concern was being expressed about the need for significant renovation of Grasso Plaza. The ACIA working together with a former County Executive secured the necessary funding, which resulted in rejuvenation of this prominent strip mall.

• The ACIA helped get St. Louis Bread Co. to move into Grasso Plaza by the collecting thousands of signatures at church services and community events. Those signatures were provided to Panera by the Greenberg Development Company, which manages Grasso Plaza. That helped clinch the decision by Panera to set up shop there. That’s now one of their “top producing stores” in St. Louis!

The Affton Chamber of Commerce and the faith-based Affton Community Involvement Association (ACIA) are two key forces committed to, and always focused on, the well-being of our community both from a social and an economic perspective.

However, speaking solely for the ACIA, we are very concerned about the future of Affton. It has been, and is, three steps forward and two steps back. The taxpayers of Affton have always supported the Affton School District, the Affton Fire Protection District, The St. Louis County Police Department and County-wide issues such as Prop P (renovation of the Juvenile Center in Clayton) and more. Therefore, should we not then rightfully expect in return that County Government should be concerned about us?  

If there is one thing County Government should definitely be focused on it is the stability of its inner ring unincorporated suburbs before it’s too late! The Office of the St. Louis County Executive, the County Department of Planning & Zoning, the County Economic Development Department and our two elected members of the County Council who represent us must become more proactive and join “we the people of Affton” in saving our community. 

If nothing else, are we not at least owed a public explanation of what each of the aforesaid governmental entities and the elected or appointed persons are doing or are willing to do to help stem the flight of businesses and residents?  It’s really not too late! But the clock is ticking!

The editor of the Affton-Shrewsbury Patch on-line news, has graciously been running articles to determine the sort of neighborhood-friendly businesses that Affton residents would like to see and would definitely support.  Some of you have weighed in. We encourage more of you to do so.