Earlier this week, the Creve Coeur City Council voted down a proposal which would have allowed the Valvoline Instant Oil Change shop, located at 11333 Olive Blvd. in Creve Coeur, to add Sunday service hours. The move, which has been sought before, is a win for at least one nearby neighbor, who argued that the noise pollution generated from the location, was "intrusive to life" on a Sunday.

Suzanne Harris lives in the neighborhood behind the shop and spoke to City Council members Monday night. She argued that moving employee break locations on the property would only make it a problem for another neighbor.

An area manager for Valvoline said the facility already uses modified equipment, among other steps to reduce noise from the shop and pledged cooperation. The manager balked at a citizen suggestion backed by Ward 1 Councilwoman Beth Kistner that the company take a period of time to address noise concerns, possibly by measuring the volume levels produced, and return to the city for approval.

"Those are the kinds of things a good neigbor would do," Kistner said.

CHICKENS

Council also heard first reading of a proposal to allow for chickens to once again be kept in city limits.

Under the proposal:

Up to eight (8) chicken hens may be kept for private, non-commercial, and non-breeding use on parcels zoned “HE” (higher education) or “A, B, C, or D” (single family residential) that are at least 7,500 square feet in total land area and have at least 5,500 square feet of unimproved land area. An additional hen is allowed for each 2,500 additional square feet above the minimum lot size for eligible parcels to a maximum number of twelve (12) hens. Roosters are prohibited.
B. Chicken hens must be securely constrained and enclosed in a suitable shelter, chicken coop, aviary, or other outbuilding or enclosure surrounded by wire netting or other fence to prevent their escape therefrom and such structure must be kept in good repair and free of peeling paint, untreated or rotted wood and rust. Such wire netting or fence shall not exceed six (6) feet in height. Shelters, coops, aviaries, or other outbuildings shall not exceed 12 feet in height or 100 feet in gross floor area, shall be located at least ten (10) feet from the principal building, and shall only be located in the rear yard. The rear-yard setback must at least five (5) feet from the rear lot line and the same side yard as is required for the principal structure located on the zoning lot shall be maintained. Areas containing any shelter, chicken coop, aviary or other outbuilding, and any appurtenances thereto must either be of level grade or graded in a direction away from the property line preventing run off to adjacent property.
C.    Chicken hens shall be kept and maintained in a clean and wholesome manner as follows:
1.    Any manure or other waste from the chicken hens shall be collected and properly removed from the premises or tilled into the soil on the premises promptly and regularly to prevent the spreading of offensive smells or diseases.
2.    The owner of the premises and the tenant and custodian must promptly comply with orders of the City and/or the St. Louis County Department of Health in respect to any unsanitary condition found to exist.
3.    The presence of numerous flies or the presence of fly larvae in the vicinity of any such premises, enclosures or structures shall be evidence of a lack of sanitary maintenance of the premises, and shall constitute a public nuisance.
4.    Any obnoxious odor or allergen arising from any condition existing within the enclosure or within any structure used or intended to be used for the housing of chicken hens shall be evidence of a lack of sanitary maintenance of the premises, and shall constitute a public nuisance.
5.    Deceased chicken hens must be disposed of either through burial or incineration in accordance with federal, state, and county regulations.
6.    All enclosures, refuse containers, and all feed containers intended for the use of chicken hens shall be constructed, maintained and kept in such a manner as to be completely rodent proof. The floors of every such enclosure shall be smooth and tight, and maintained so as to prevent accumulation of filth or water or harboring of vermin there under.

The proposal would not invalidate existing Creve Coeur subdivision regulations which currently ban the keeping of chickens.

GREEN POWER

Council members also approved the city's participation as an Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Community. Through the project, Creve Coeur will commit to offsetting its carbon footprint by 10 percent, and encourage at least 3 percent of residents and the business community to use renewable energy sources.

Creve Coeur is the second community in the state to acept the EPA's "Green Power Challenge". Clayton was the first to do so.