Armstrong Drive, William Street projects likely on back burner

If the tone of a Thursday evening study session is any indication, Cape Girardeau won't be extending Armstrong Drive or upgrading William Street anytime soon.

At a special meeting Thursday, the Cape Girardeau City Council discussed its proposed capital improvements program for 2014 to 2019.

Each year, city leaders prioritize infrastructure projects they hope to complete in the future.

Molly Hood, assistant city manager for development services, said this year, the city basically updated last year's list, seeking opinions from departments and incorporating information from a recent space study on the police station.

"What this process has revealed to us is that the city has a lot of facilities needs that are going to need to be addressed," Hood told council members Thursday evening.

The program includes both funded and contingent, or unfunded, projects.

Contingent projects are prioritized and completed on a long-term basis as funds become available.

Topping the list of contingent facilities projects are a new $13.8 million police station; more than $4 million in repairs to the city's transfer station; a $2.875 million replacement for Fire Station No. 4; and $1.5 million in renovations to two other fire stations.

During the meeting, council members discussed the fate of a proposed Armstrong Drive extension.

The project would have been funded with money from Transportation Trust Fund 3, which expired this year, but increased right-of-way acquisition costs threatened to drive the project beyond its $3 million budget.

Councilmen Mark Lanzotti and Wayne Bowen discussed the possibility of abandoning the project for the time being and instead using the money to create a "quick-action fund" that would allow the city to complete projects as needed -- for instance, building a quarter-mile road within a business park to accommodate a new development.

Such a fund would give the city flexibility to take advantage of opportunities as they arise, Lanzotti said.

During the meeting, Lanzotti also suggested creating a mechanism for residents to make suggestions several weeks or even months before the next CIP update.

"I'm telling you, there'll be some diamonds coming out of that. ... There'll be some neat stuff in there," he said.

Even without a formal input process, residents' concerns may have had some influence over at least one project.

Mayor Harry Rediger suggested removing a proposed $8 million William Street improvement project from the contingent list.

"We have had an outpouring of opposition to the William Street project," he said. " ... That is festering so bad, with citizens (complaining) to me on a continual basis, I think it's time to get that off the table."

City manager Scott Meyer agreed, calling the project in its current form "a non-starter."

He suggested eliminating the expensive roadway improvement plan while keeping some smaller upgrades, such as pedestrian movement and beautification projects.

Councilwoman Loretta Schneider said she would like to keep at least part of the William Street project.

"I don't like the idea of just doing away with it completely," she said. "William Street's always been controversial. ... I think it just needs a lot of discussion."

A public hearing on the capital improvements program is set for 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall.

Reporter Ruth Campbell contributed some information for this story.

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