An encouraging sign in last week's election was how the mayoral candidates' stance on big box retail development -- pro and con -- decided the election.  According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Voters in Wildwood gave Mayor Tim Woerther another term in office in what was seen as a referendum on future development in the city."

"Woerther said his victory shows that people in Wildwood don't want to 'go chasing commercial development' just for the sake of getting it, and that his city is on the right path in terms of sustained development."

Perhaps the best line in the article reads, "Woerther has said that he doesn't want the 17-year-old Wildwood 'to look like the rest of St. Louis County'."  Read the full article here.

It's refreshing to see a local elected official standing up for a better vision of his city, a vision not defined by what is a good deal for a developer or even a short-term monetary gain for the city, but a sustainable future.  We in Maryland Heights need to have the same robust public discussion on sustainable development in our city, and that is a discussion that should be led by, well, our leaders.