Committee scraps plan for street near federal courthouse

Cape Girardeau planning and zoning commission members on Tuesday scrapped plans for a connector street adjacent to the new federal courthouse under construction after federal officials -- citing security and aesthetic concerns -- strongly opposed the project.

Federal officials said they want to stick with the original design, which calls for construction of a circular drive west of city hall that would serve both city hall and the courthouse.

A planing and zoning committee is putting together a list of future street projects that could be funded if voters extend the city's half-cent transportation sales tax next August. The committee met Tuesday at city hall, along with several other members of the planning commission and city staff. The commission ultimately will make a recommendation to the city council.

Several federal officials attended the meeting to voice opposition to a city proposal to construct a 40-foot-wide connector street that would run from William Street to Independence Street, between city hall and the new nearly $50 million federal courthouse whose steel structure currently is being erected.

Jim Woodward, clerk of the U.S. District Court in St. Louis, said he and the federal judges in that district only learned of the proposed street project a month ago. Woodward said the judges opposed the street plan.

Woodward said federal officials prefer plans for a circular drive and want to keep the surrounding area as an open, green space that would beautify the landscape and visually link city hall and the federal courthouse.

Federal officials said the proposed street would create traffic congestion and confusion for courthouse visitors, pose storm drainage problems, make it harder to expand city hall and pose security concerns.

Ron Henderson, U.S. marshal in St. Louis, told city staff and commission members that a through-street could allow terrorists to speed toward the new courthouse in a vehicle laden with explosives, posing a security problem for the entire neighborhood.

Committee chairman Harry Rediger said the courthouse can't be redesigned at this late date. He said the best option is to keep the circular drive concept and scrap the connector street plan.

"We probably don't have the money to do it anyway," he said of the project that could have cost the city $400,000.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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