Cape City Council to discuss LaSalle Avenue ordinances

The Cape Girardeau City Council will meet today to discuss items for the development of roads and businesses in the city. The acquisition of easements for the construction of LaSalle Avenue at the new interchange of Interstate 55 and East Main Street is the first item on the agenda.

While the Jackson side of the interchange at I-55 is complete, the Cape Girardeau side is still acquiring easements and is behind Jackson in construction.

Mayor Jay Knudtson, reached for comment before the meeting, said not to be alarmed by the apparent lack of construction taking place on the Cape Girardeau side.

Jackson has been pursuing the project at the interchange for 10 to 12 years, according to the mayor, and has made it one of the town's top priorities. Cape Girardeau decided only four years ago to pursue the project and has worked rapidly to complete it.

"We feel very good about how quickly we've moved," said Mayor Knudtson.

Property has been acquired for LaSalle Avenue to be four lanes, but the initial construction will be only for a two-lane road. The plan is a Transportation Trust Fund III project, which regulates that the road begin as two lanes and then progress to four. It Knudtson's hope that the road will need to be developed into four lanes in the future.

Two ordinances for the construction of businesses within residential districts will also be on the agenda today.

The first permit will be for the construction of a deli and convenience store at 1021 Bloomfield St.; the developed site will involve the installation of a 6-feet-by-2-feet wall sign. No complaints have been voiced against the construction of the wall sign, according to the mayor.

Jerry Cooley, an owner of a property in the neighborhood, spoke against the ordinance at a meeting on April 9 with a concern for off-street parking facilities. The conditions for the authorization of the permit are for the parking facilities to be screened and for any additional lighting to be aimed away from the existing houses.

Another permit for the construction of a retail business at 401 S. West End Blvd. will be on the agenda today. Development of the site will involve the maintenance of a sign on a post.

The meeting agenda also lists discussion of an ordinance for the acquisition of property for a new trail from the Cape LaCroix Trail to the Campus Conservation Center at Cape County Park North.

The trail would run parallel to Route W and intersect Lexington Avenue near Kingshighway. The meeting begins at 7 p.m.