Letter to the Editor

Rezoning should be big concern

To the editor:

Regarding the Ashland Court Subdivision article: this should have every homeowner in Cape Girardeau concerned. Anyone can file for a rezoning of your neighborhood for a mere $50 filing fee and if turned down can reapply within 15 days. You may never know it is occurring until it is too late. Not one homeowner in the Ashland Court Subdivision got a written notice.

A request for rezoning goes before the planning and zoning commission, which makes a ruling that is sent to the mayor and city council, which publishes a notice in the local paper within 15 days for a public hearing. If you miss the planning and zoning commission meeting and it gives its OK, you're down one, because the mayor and city council almost never vote against the P&Z recommendation.

As your article pointed out, the contractor did not have his ducks in a row. I can only speculate had he had an official plan what the outcome might have been. And why did he not have an official plan? Is it that easy for contractors to change our neighborhoods?

Now our city council says let the developer inform the property owners of the request for rezoning. What can I say, except "Does your back itch?"

I think it would be beneficial in this time of increased construction for your paper to research the number of applications made within the city for rezoning neighborhoods. Let the citizens know how many were approved or disapproved by the mayor, council and planning and zoning commission.

CAROLYN BRAMLETT, Cape Girardeau