Cape City Council approves plan for luxury townhouses

Sixteen luxury townhouses will be built on vacant ground in downtown Cape Girardeau.

The city council Monday night unanimously approved the Spanish Court project after developers reached an agreement with neighboring property owners. Councilman Jay Purcell ab-stained because he said he had previously conducted business with one of the developers, John Wyman, on an unrelated property matter and didn't want there to be any perception of a conflict of interest.

The council gave first reading to an ordinance approving a special-use permit for construction of 17 townhouses, but developer Jim Riley said a private agreement reached with neighbors will eliminate one of the units.

Riley said he and his three partners in the development also will:

Plant evergreens along the northern border of the site to screen it off from neighbors.

Provide Marsha and Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr., who live at 205 Bellevue, with an easement for access to a future guesthouse that the Limbaughs plan to build on their portion of the abandoned Spanish Street right of way.

Grant the Limbaughs an advisory seat on the Spanish Court Homeowners Association, if desired.

Provide adjoining homeowners with "reasonable access" to the backs of their properties for limb removal and maintenance.

Use high-quality heating and air-conditioning equipment and landscaping to minimize noise.

Allow the Limbaughs to participate in the selection of site lighting for the project.

Help with preliminary design for additional parking for two existing buildings on the north side of Broadway, one owned by Henry Terry and another by Laura Younghouse.

Coordinate construction of Spanish Court retaining walls with the Limbaughs and neighboring property owners John and Nona Robinson.

City attorney Eric Cunningham said the council didn't need to take any action regarding any private agreement between the developers and the neighbors.

The townhouses will be built on sloping ground sandwiched between Broadway, Bellevue, Lorimier and Main streets. The site at 210 N. Spanish is north of where Spanish comes to a dead end just north of Broadway.

Developers expect to spend more than $4 million on the project, which will involve construction of two-story townhouses ranging in size from 1,500 square feet to 3,500 square feet.

The townhouses will be built around a European-style courtyard.

Neighbors previously had voiced concern that too many units would be crowded onto the site and that the development could lead to noise and light pollution. They also worried it might block their views of the Mississippi River.

But developers Jim and Michaele Riley and Jerri and John Wyman insisted all along that the project would help the neighborhood.

"By designing a development that protects their interests we help eliminate their long-term concerns that their views of the river, bridge or downtown will ever be taken from them," John Wyman told the council.

Wyman said local governmental entities such as the city and the school district will realize increased tax revenue from the development. Annual property tax revenue from the site is currently about $800. That would increase to about $60,000 within two years, Wyman said.

At a public hearing prior to the vote, Terry voiced support for the project. No other neighbors spoke at the meeting.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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