First Details on Proposed Sam's Club

A proposed Sam's Club location for Wentzville will not be seeking Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for the location, according to the builder.

TIFs allow the use of local property and sales taxes to assist in the funding of a redevelopment.

Alan Bornstein, of THF Realty, presented the board with the first details for the new store.

"We are asking for a Community Improvement District (CID), but we are not asking for a TIF," Bornstein said. "I know that is an issue of concern in this area."

residents at the Board of Aldermen meeting Wednesday. He said he expected the sale of the land to be complete in late summer with construction to begin immediately following the sale.

"We are looking to be open by spring or early summer — sometime in the second quarter of next year," he said.

The new Sam's would sit behind the existing and across from . Initial specs put the store at 136,000 square feet on a 26-acre lot. The store would face Bear Creek Drive. 

According to Bornstein, the entrance to the site would come from Bear Creek Drive. Deliveries would be required to enter and exit the facility through the existing service road behind Wal-Mart. 

The Sam's Club gas station would sit across the street on a vacant lot near Kohl's, Bornstein said. There also is room on the proposed Sam's lot for a restaurant or store to go in, although nothing is planned at this time.

The store will feature a canopy for carts coming out of the store, where patrons can pull their cars up to load their purchases.

Several residents of the Bear Creek area spoke about their fears for traffic congestion on their road. Bornstein said THF has no plans to widen May Road for the increased congestion but is dedicating an additional 20 feet of road right of way to the city for future expansion. 

Other residents questioned whether there was a better location in the area for the store. Bornstein said six other locations — both in and outside the city — were considered and rejected before the current location was selected.

Judy Ferguson, a resident of Koala Drive, said she feared the addition congestion, light and noise pollution.

"This will cause irritation and anxiety," she said. "Isn't there a better site to put this?"

Plans for the site still face planning and zoning approval.

Sam's Club began as a membership bulk purchasing store in 1983. There are now nearly 600 sites, according to the store's web site. The company is part of the Wal-Mart family of stores.

Bornstein said the store's hours of operation would follow Sam's Club guidelines, with the store being open to members from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Most locations open at 7 a.m. for small business members.

According to Mayor Paul Lambi, the Sam's Club issue is on the agenda again for the board's March 23 meeting. Bornstein also said he was willing to organize a community event if there was interest from the public.

No such event has been scheduled yet.