City council gives convenience store go-ahead in residential neighborhood

Cape Girardeau City Council voted Monday night in favor of granting a special-use permit for a 2,500-square-foot Wink's convenience store and gas station at the corner of Perryville Road and Lexington Avenue.

The store will replace the current Wink's location on 2021 Perryville Road, adjacent to the corner.

The location has been a source of contention for decades. Five proposals for rezoning there have been rejected since 1990 with councils always wanting to preserve the residential identity of the area. The present request was rejected twice by the Planning and Zoning committee before being turned over to the council for a public hearing and vote.

The current proposal was pushed over the top when owner Kevin Stanfield showed readiness to change plans by making the entrances safer and lights dimmer, and collecting 537 signatures of support from customers.

Several area residents approached to speak in favor of the proposal.

The space is zoned C-1 commercial and was grandfathered into the residential area because of its long-established roots. "The only reason I'm supporting this is that there is already a convenience store there in a shabby fashion and it's not very aesthetically pleasing and it could be that way 100 years from now," said Mayor Jay Knudtson at the study session.

Stanfield pledged that the adjoining property will only be used for apartments or "light commercial" activity, like a beauty salon, which would not affect the character of the neighborhood. "You have our word on that," he said.