WELDON SPRING — An evaluation of Weldon Spring’s City Hall has breathed life into efforts to build a new one here — a move some aldermen say isn’t needed, while the lobby in the current ranch-home-turned-city-hall is so cramped it can fit only one waiting visitor at a time.
The study, done by FGM Architects, of ӣƵ, described the current city hall as “outdated” and “undersized,” saying it does not meet current building codes or the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The 3,200-square-foot building also has cracks in the foundation and water damage.
“It just shocked me to no end. I thought we were ADA-compliant. I didn’t think we had any issues,” said Mayor Donald Licklider. He and the city’s aldermen discussed the study at a work session Thursday.
The Weldon Spring City Hall and municipal complex are located in a former house on Independence Road in the St. Charles County community.
Weldon Spring should build a city hall that is at least 50% larger than the current structure, the report recommends. The additional space would allow for the creation of a 12-person conference room, a separate office for the city clerk, a larger office for the city planning department, a larger lobby, ADA-compliant restrooms and hallways, as well as additional storage.
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Of the 20 questions asked in the architects’ survey, only two questions elicited positive responses by city staff — the availability of employee parking and the city’s computer and phone technology.
Currently, the city’s community development staff, which includes the city engineer, city planner and code enforcement officer, all share an office. That space is so cramped, officials said, they often have to lay building plans on the floor or go to a building off-site to review proposals. The city treasurer and city clerk also share an office, and the building’s lobby is too small for a waiting room.
The city purchased the 44-year-old residential building in the 1990s and officially opened it as city hall in 1999. In August, the city hired FGM Architects to conduct a weeks-long comprehensive needs assessment to determine if the city should renovate, move or build a new city hall. The small community of 5,400 residents in St. Charles County, has seen its population nearly triple over the past four decades.
City leaders cast doubts on Thursday about the study’s findings, including the cost projections. The study estimated constructing a new city hall could cost between $2.35 million and $2.87 million.
“I don’t know if this guy knows anything about how much a building costs,” said Andy Clutter, a Ward 1 alderman. “We’re going to need a lot more facts before we decide which way to go.”
Others, including Ward 3 Alderman Gerry Baker, questioned whether the building needed to be compliant with federally regulated ADA, which requires government and public buildings to be accessible to all people through the use of ramps, hallways and door frames wide enough for wheelchairs, and handrails in restrooms.
“I’m not against being ADA-compliant,” Baker said. He also questioned whether the entire building needed to be ADA compliant, or just the building’s lobby, bathroom and meeting rooms.
Others, including Ward 1 Alderman Tom Yeager, were more receptive.
“We say in our mission statement that we want to be a premier community, but the report lists the staff’s evaluations of our facilities as below average,” Yeager said. The city’s 11 staff members were each interviewed and answered surveys.
Yeager and Licklider, the mayor, both expressed support for touring other sites for a potential city hall, including some vacant commercially-zoned properties.
But Baker countered that he “could see no reason to do that.” Instead, he believes the city should look to build an addition onto the back of the current city hall.
“Sure, we could build a $5 million city hall and be competitive with any of the bigger cities out there,” Baker said. “But this is a city hall for Weldon Spring, with residents of roughly 5,400 people and with a tax base that is much smaller than those other communities. We need to build a city hall that our residents are happy with.”
Yeager disagreed.
“I empathize with the city staff. They don’t have the workspace that they should have to do their jobs as effectively as possible,” he said. “This building has served its useful life as city hall and it may be time to move on.”
Ultimately, the board is requesting a meeting with FGM Architects in April to discuss the study and the cost projections.
“We don’t have to do something next week,” Licklider said. “We have the time to do this right.”
View life in ӣƵ through the Post-Dispatch photographers' lenses. Edited by Jenna Jones.
