City to Resident: You Can Tear Your House Down But You Can't Build a New One

The curious case of Cynthia Dunne in Ladue, Missouri, who was permitted by the city to tear down her house, and then subsequently informed that a lack of water pressure prohibited building a new one.

1 minute read

October 28, 2019, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Missori

sevenMaps7 / Shutterstock

Robert Patrick reports from Ladue, Missouri: "Officials here allowed Cynthia Dunne to buy a 4,400-square-foot home for $1 million and knock it down, but they won’t allow her to replace it because of an aging water line that feeds her community, a federal lawsuit filed this month says."

Dunne's plans for a new, 7,700-square-foot home that would accommodate her physical disabilities "were approved by Ladue’s architectural review board before she applied for and received a permit to demolish the old house in 2018," according to Patrick. Dunne’s building permit was blocked after she demolished the old house, and after Ladue officials said that fire hydrant water pressure was insufficient for any structure, the suit says.

According to a spokesperson for Missouri American Water, the cost of addressing inadequate water lines usually falls to developers. In this case, either the neighborhood would have to chip in to help pay for a new water line, or Dunne will have to pay the cost entirely on her own.

Dunne filed a lawsuit earlier this month against the city of Ladue and Building Commissioner Roger Stewart, seeking unspecified damages.

Thursday, October 24, 2019 in St. Louis Post-Dispatch

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

"Units for sale - contact your local realtor" sign in front of homes.

‘Displaced By Design:’ Report Spotlights Gentrification in Black Neighborhoods

A new report finds that roughly 15 percent of U.S. neighborhoods have been impacted by housing cost increases and displacement.

May 19 - Next City

Turquoise blue Pyramid Lake near Reno, Nevada.

Nevada and Utah Groups Oppose Public Land Sell-Off Plan

A set of last-minute amendments to the budget reconciliation bill open up over half a million acres of federally managed land to sales.

May 19 - Inside Climate News

Alpine Recreation Center sign in park in Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA.

More Than a Park: A Safe Haven for Generations in LA’s Chinatown

Alpine Recreation Center serves as a vital cultural and community hub in Los Angeles' Chinatown, offering a safe, welcoming space for generations of Chinese American residents to gather, connect, and thrive amidst rapid urban change.

May 19 - American Community Media

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.