Planning and Zoning and the Business Person

The planning and zoning departments in both Manchester and Town and Country have an economic aspect to them. In Manchester, the inclusion is quite obvious, the department is named Planning, Zoning and Economic Development. Besides keeping an eye on code enforcement and zoning restrictions in the city, the department also promotes business development.

In Town and Country, the department is named Planning and Development, and it has the same goals as its neighbor to the south.

“We do what we can to help businesses come into our city. A lot of that may be assistance with information about how to get through the city processes, who to call, where to get more information etc,” said Franz Kraintz of Manchester's department. He said the department acts as a resource guide to businesses and help them through the regulatory process of setting up shop.

“As for actively recruiting businesses, we do some where we can without offering any incentives, but probably not enough in the traditional sense, because as soon as you try, the question invariably comes up how much money do you have to give. We don’t have any subsidy programs like that right now,” Kraintz said.

“We try to put some business in touch with some of the landlords and make them aware of each other, so they can work together to keep the city strong,” said Sharon Rothmel, planning director and community economic opportunity coordinator for Town and Country.

Kraintz said his department’s goal is to bring in the right mix of businesses to Manchester.

“It sends a positive image to the greater metropolitan region that this is a good place to do business. Also, with good planning and design, we hope our efforts leave a lasting impression upon the appearance and desirability of the community,” he said.

“We keep in touch with the business community, so we're both helping and making sure there are no hurdles in the way of good economic development,” Rothmel said.

Kraintz said one mistake that business people make when dealing with planning and zoning is that they underestimate how long it takes to get through any of the regulatory processes, such as a public hearing.

“The City of Manchester P and Z Commission does a great job reviewing and working with businesses to shorten the turnaround time, but oftentimes, contractual commitments may be made before finding out how long the process might take,” he said.

Rothmel agreed that people should always check with the municipality first. She said staff members such as herself are there to help guide business people with the sometimes confusing process of navigating city hall.

“People should check our website or give us a call so we can help them with the process. We’re eager to do that,” Rothmel said.

On the Horizon:

• Town and Country Crossing is finding more retailers for remaining vacancies in the plaza. Coming soon is Ginger Bay, a high-end salon, which will be located next door to Cotton Babies. Recently opened stores include Marshall Wireless and Dollar Stop.
• Come network at The Rise To The Top Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 17 at Araka in Clayton. Rise to the Top is a St. Louis-based Internet TV show hosted by author David Garland. Garland has been named one of the Web’s “Top 60 influencers” and one of “100 St. Louisans To Know.”
• The Smart Business Expo will be held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 25 at the St. Louis Marriott West. The Expo and networking event is sponsored by the St. Louis Business Journal. Admission is $15 per person. A portion of the proceeds will go to Joplin’s Habitat for Humanity.