Crestwood's Dead Wendy's Site to Re-Open as Enterprise; Two Neighbors Angry

Long-gone Wendy's fast food restaurant on Watson Road in Crestwood is soon to open as Enterprise Rent-a Car and trucks, but two backyard neighbors aren't so happy about what they fear is noise and light pollution at all hours.

Enterprise will close the two other operations in Crestwood, and combine them in a renovated site on Watson Road at the old Wendy's—across the street from the McDonald's franchise. Hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Regardless, the city Planning and Zoning commission voted to make a recommendation to the Board of Aldermen that Enterprise be allowed to move forward with the plan.

Enterprise will add an enclosed hand car wash at the back of the building, and residential property owner Tim McEntee, concerned about noise, asked it be moved farther from the common property line.

"It's 30 feet from my living room. I'm retired, so I spend all day there," McEntee testified this week at a Planning meeting. He assumed the car was would generate noise. McEntee's neighbor on Crestwood Drive complained about noise from an adjacent autobody shop for three years, and wanted the former Wendy's commercial lot turned into a park.

But, a spokesman for Enterprise said he had no problem with supplying trees as buffers at the property line. He said some lights would be kept on at night for security reasons. He pointed out that they provided trees for the shop in Kirkwood.

When McEntee persisted in testifying about potential issues with sound and light, Crestwood's city Public Services Director, Jim Eckrich explained.

"If the site plan shows trees, they are required to be there. If they're not there, we'll make them do it," Eckrich said.

McEntee said he spent $10,000 on a huge storage shed in his back yard in an attempt to block light and noise. He said he also did plantings. It was unclear whether the large shed was up to city codes.

The outdoor lighting at the site would be the same as Wendy's, according to Eckrich, and the Enterprise site plan.

A unanimous vote of approval by the commission took Enterprise on to the next step in planning the site, with a return to the city for approval.