The future of the Wentzville School District's planned new high school is in question after the O'Fallon City Council refused to grant the district a necessary permit.

The council Thursday voted 7-3 against the district's request for a conditional-use permit to build the high school on Sommers Road, south of Highway N in O'Fallon. The 80-acre tract, owned by the school district, is zoned for residential use. The permit also would have allowed the district to erect an 8-foot perimeter fence.

The school district's chief financial officer, Kari Monsees, said Friday he was "uncertain as to what happens next" with the project. The district has yet to begin construction, and Monsees said it was premature to determine how the council's decision might affect the project's schedule.

"We will continue with our planning and open communication with those involved," Monsees said. "We are reviewing the situation with our staff, design team and the city of O'Fallon's staff. We will have further conversations with the Board of Education."

The board is scheduled to meet Jan. 19. Monsees said he did not know whether the situation would be discussed during the meeting.

The O'Fallon Planning and Zoning Commission voted Jan. 5 to recommend approval of the permit. But about 30 residents from subdivisions surrounding the school site attended the council meeting Thursday to voice opposition to the plan.

Brad Goss, an attorney for developer Consort Homes, said owners of virtually every property abutting the school district's tract signed a petition asking the city to deny the permit.

Goss said the permit was "not ready for consideration" by the council because it violated several criteria stipulated in the city's zoning ordinances. Addressing these, Goss said the proposal would increase traffic on residential streets, the school would "dominate" the surrounding neighborhood, and the project would reduce property values in a neighborhood where homes can sell for $350,000.

Maria Oliver, who lives on Country Trail Drive west of the site, said the plan would position a high traffic road directly behind existing homes, creating a dangerous scenario. Paul Renaud Boulevard runs west to east through the neighborhood southwest of the school property and ends at the school district's property line.

Oliver said the city's original plan called for extending Paul Renaud Boulevard eastward through what is now the school tract. But the school district did not want a busy road running through its property, so it plans to redirect the road extension, running it along the south edge of the school property. This would place the boulevard behind a row of existing homes.

Kevin Meyer, who also lives on Country Trail Court west of the school site, said the streets in the neighborhood could not handle the traffic flow from a high school. Meyer said the city was not following through with its original plan for the area.

"This is not the right use for this property," Meyer said. "This is not the right place for it. This plan does not make sense."

Teenage drivers would be "flying down" Paul Renaud Boulevard, Meyer said. He also argued lights in the school parking lot and ball fields would disturb nearby residents and that truant students would end up loitering in back yards.

Monsees said the district conducted an open house meeting for residents in November. The concerns expressed during the open house included whether fences would prevent high school students from entering adjacent residential yards.

Monsees said many residents did not want Paul Renaud Boulevard to extend through to Sommers Road east of the tract. He said many residents did not want the road extended at all, regardless of where the road was located.

"We have a plan that functions whether it is a through street or not a through street," Monsees said.

Council members voting to reject the permit were Rick Lucas, Ward 1; Rose Mack and Jim Pepper, both of Ward 2; John Haman, Jr. and Rick Battelle, both Ward 3; and Bob Howell and Jeff Schwentker, both Ward 4.

Voting for the permit were Bill Gardner, Ward 1, and Mike Pheney and newly appointed Councilman Michael Snowden, both of Ward 5.

Snowden said the school district is its own governmental entity and, to a large degree, can do what it wants. "I wanted citizens to understand that our vote doesn't change things," Snowden said. "The school district will still build that school on that land."

Pepper said the school district kept changing its plan right up until just before the planning and zoning meeting. "That is no way to do business," Pepper said. "It shows an arrogance and disrespect for the citizens of O'Fallon."

Monsees said all the versions presented were drafted in response to city staff's comments during a period of six to eight weeks.

Pepper said he opposed running Paul Renaud Boulevard south of the school, directly behind homes. He said this would create "double frontage," where homes have roads running directly in front and behind them. Pepper said this would violate zoning codes and that there is no similar example to be found in O'Fallon.

City spokesman Tom Drabelle said similar situations could be found any place where houses back up against a major road. In this case, there would be a tree buffer between the houses and the road, he said.

There are no city codes prohibiting what the school district plans to do with Paul Renaud Boulevard, Drabelle said. If the plan had violated codes, it would not have received the Planning and Zoning Commission's recommendation, he said.

Pepper and some of the residents said the school plans to use Countryshire Drive as the route for buses exiting the school at the end of the day, placing several buses at one time on a residential road.

Monsees said that never has been part of the district's plan. He said residents misunderstood the path buses would take to and from the school.

"The only buses entering a subdivision would be buses delivering students to that subdivision," Monsees said.