Group Formed to Oppose Sam's Club

A group of Wentzville residents have created Wentzville First, a group of citizens whose motto is “residents of our town should come first and developers who don’t live here come second.”

This grass roots organization started after  residents learned about a development proposed by THF Realty. THF Realty is requesting Wentzville rezone 11.1 acres from agricultural to C-3 (Highway Commercial.)  

THF Realty is asking Wentzville for a Community Improvement District (CID) to help finance a Sam’s Club and Sam’s Club gas station with 12 regular gasoline pumps and 6 diesel pumps at the corner of May Road and Bear Creek Drive. 

An estimated $7 million would be collected by creating a CID surrounding the Sam's Club lot. Within the CID, the city may allocate one-half cent sales tax to the developer for up to 27 years. 

Wentzville First said that funding a developer’s project with a tax increase is a form of corporate welfare. Al Norman, founder of Sprawl-Busters, a national anti-sprawl activism organization spoke with Wentzville First.

“THF Realty often asks small towns to give them public welfare," Norman said. 

Wentzville First Meeting

Wentzville First is meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 25, at , 1507 Highway Z.  Contact Jonathan Cage at 636-887-2303  or jjcage@charter.net or Tricia Byrnes at 314-397-4037 or tkbyrnes@gmail.com.