Cape OKs Timber Creek development, pet restrictions

New pet restrictions -- including one dealing with barking dogs -- won unanimous approval of the Cape Girardeau City Council Monday night.

The council accepted the recommendations of the city's animal control task force to revise the city's nearly year-old pet law.

Council members also unanimously approved plans for the Timber Creek subdivision despite strong opposition from residents of the Old Sprigg Street Road neighborhood that borders the 21-acre development site where developer Mitch Kinder already had torn out trees and bulldozed the ground. He plans to build upscale homes on the property.

Mayor Jay Knudtson said the council had no choice but to approve the project because it meets all city requirements. He said there might have been less controversy if the developer had informed neighbors of the development plans.

"People deserve a right to have answers to their questions," he said.

Basil Harrison, who lives on Oak Lei Drive, said he and his neighbors oppose the development. He said he was worried about possible storm-water runoff and the subdivision having an entrance and exit onto Old Sprigg Street Road.

But project engineer Chris Koehler said a detention basin will be constructed to prevent flooding problems on neighboring land. He said it isn't feasible to enter the subdivision from Lexington Avenue as neighbors wanted.

But Koehler said he expects most of the traffic generated by the subdivision will enter and exit from Cape Rock Drive on the west side of the property.

The pet regulations include a new provision designed to deal with dogs that create a nuisance by barking late at night or early in the morning. Dogs can be considered a nuisance if they are outside barking between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

If there is a complaint, police will be able to cite the pet owner if the animal is found to be outside and not in a solidly enclosed structure, city officials said.

"Most reasonable people expect not to be waked up by a barking dog," said local Humane Society representative Requi Salter, who served on the task force.

Other changes would allow pet owners whose homes sit on at least five acres to keep up to six dogs.

Otherwise, pet owners will be able to keep only as many as four dogs or as many as eight cats.

The earlier law limited pet owners to no more than four dogs and four cats in a household.

Existing pet owners who have more animals than allowed will be allowed to keep their current pets under a grandfather clause.

But when those animals are gone, those pet owners won't be able to exceed the limit. "They can't replace Rover," said Knudtson.

The actual changes won't take effect until the council approves a new ordinance which is expected to occur in July.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123