Ashland Court request denied

A proposal to zone a 12-acre tract along Interstate 55 for apartments would ruin the family atmosphere in a recently developed subdivision, homeowners told the Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday.

The commission turned down the request of SEMO Land LLC for the rezoning. The request goes forward to the Cape Girardeau City Council on Monday evening, but managing partner Eric Marquart said it will likely be withdrawn.

Vice-chairman R. J. McKinney said he didn't like the proposal because it asked for the rezoning without any details of what would be built on the tract.

Approximately 40 people living in the Ashland Court subdivision in northwest Cape Girardeau came out to oppose the zoning request. The zoning change would allow apartment construction in the place of single family homes.

The proximity to I-55 makes the tract unattractive for family homes, Marquart told the commission. The best use of the property would be apartments, he said. There would be little traffic through the current neighborhoods because the apartments would be built after construction of Vantage Drive, a street funded by the latest city transportation sales tax.

Most residents in the immediate neighborhood have moved in within the past two years. During their time before the commission, they said they were surprised that the change was being considered.

The notice of the proposed change was staked on a vacant lot away from any of the current homes. It was only by chance that Pam Mungle saw it.

"If not for me taking my dog out for a walk, we never would have seen that sign," she said.

Assurances that development would not bring traffic through their neighborhood didn't carry much credibility, said Shannon Ehrhon of 1320 Platinum Ct.

A decision on whether to move ahead with a hearing before the city council will be made after consultation with partners, Marquart said after the meeting. The request will likely be withdrawn, he said.

Everybody could have saved some time, Marquart said, if the residents had called to express their concerns."I just wish all those people would have called me," he said.