CONTROVERSIAL SUBDIVISION AWAITS OK

After a few appearances before the Planning and Zoning Commission, Harold Lineberry hopes Wednesday's meeting will be his last.

Lineberry works for Holigan Homes, a Dallas-based home-building firm. The company's latest project is Forest Hills Estates, formerly Holigan Estates, a proposed development along the North Sprigg Street extension.

So far, developers have been unable to get their plans past Cape Girardeau's Planning and Zoning Commission. Lineberry submitted a rough sketch in May, which was returned with several proposed changes. He submitted a preliminary plat in June, along with a request to rezone the area from R-1 to R-2.

The rezoning would have allowed lots as small as 7,000 square feet, whereas lots in an R-1 zone must be at least 10,000 square feet.

About 15 people from a nearby neighborhood attended the June meeting to oppose rezoning. Most of them said they own homes on at least one acre of land, and lowering the requirements for Holigan Estates would compromise their neighborhood's integrity.

The plans also didn't account for city right of way on North Sprigg, said Harry Rediger, commission chairman. He said the right of way would have taken a considerable chunk out of the already small lots.

Commission members voted unanimously to recommend the City Council disapprove a zoning change. Although Holigan representatives could have requested a hearing with the council, they did not, and instead began revising the plans to fit an R-1 zoning.

"It seems like they are serious and are ready to go," Rediger said. "We'll see another preliminary plat at Planning and Zoning."

Holigan Homes' initial plat provided for 157 lots. Under the new plan, 37 lots were cut out, but now all of them will be between 10,000 and 12,000 square feet.

Bigger lots mean more expense, so the original $100,000 estimated price tags likely will change.

"I'm not sure yet," Lineberry said. "We don't have all the costs, but they will probably be higher than what we intended."

The company wants to begin moving dirt this month. All improvements -- roads, water and sewer -- must be made.