Cape Girardeau's Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday unanimously approved a plan by Southeast Missouri Hospital to move its helicopter landing pad to the east side of the hospital.
According to a letter to the commission from Steve Strom, the hospital's lawyer, the helicopter pad will be moved from atop the multi-story parking garage west of the main building to the new site as part of a major addition to the hospital.
"At the present time, Southeast Missouri Hospital is planning construction of a new Clinical Services Building on the remainder of the east parcel," wrote Strom. "That building will include a new emergency services area and necessitates moving the main helicopter landing site to the top of that building."
City Planner Kent Bratton said that in 1980 the city council approved two laws related to the helicopter pad that authorized use of the site at the parking garage and also the east site, although it's rarely, if ever, been used.
He said the architects for the hospital addition wanted assurance from the city that the east landing site would be permitted.
Bratton said the city staff agrees with Strom that the site is acceptable according to the 1980 city law.
In a letter to the commissioners, Bratton wrote that in his opinion, "no further action is required for the hospital to proceed with the development of a new landing pad on the new addition."
In other business, the commission unanimously approved a recommendation to approve a special use permit requested by Claude and Dorothy Foeste for construction of a new storage facility for the Foeste Nursery at 1021 N. Clark.
Steve Foeste, who handled the request on behalf of his parents, said the existing nursery building is dilapidated and needs to be replaced.
"We want to replace it and make it a little larger," he said. "The current building is wood, but we're looking at a metal, pre-fab building."
He said the existing building is 30 feet by 40 feet and the new one would be about "10 or 15 feet longer."
Bratton said the city staff had no problem with the request but he asked that Foeste consult with the city before submitting final plans. The city planner said the building is on a flood plain that might be affected by the city's Walker Branch flood control project, which includes creek channel work in the area of the nursery.
The commission also unanimously approved a record plat of the Triple B Subdivision, between Broadview Drive and Optimist Drive east of Arena Park.
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