COUNCIL DELAYS PARKING BAN IN GOOD HOPE BLOCK

Fearing its effect on a business in the area, the Cape Girardeau City Council Monday elected to hold off on a parking ban in the 400 block of Good Hope Street that was aimed at curbing illegal drug sales.

Police Chief Howard "Butch" Boyd Jr. requested that the no-parking ordinance be established for 170 feet along the south side of the street.

He said the ban would further curb drug sales in an area where several buildings recently were razed. Law enforcement officials had dubbed the site an "open air market," primarily for "crack" cocaine.

"The police department has delivered a knockout punch to drug dealers on the south side of the street in the 400 block of Good Hope," Boyd said. "We're asking you to administer the count."

But the co-owner of a business on the north side of the street objected to the ban, claiming it would cost him customers.

Ruben Parker, who owns The Taste Restaurant and Lounge, 402 Good Hope, said that an emergency ban instituted last month has hurt his business.

"People used to say they weren't going to come in because of the drug activity across the street, but now they aren't coming because there's no place to park," Parker said.

The council last month approved first reading of the no-parking ordinance, but Monday withdrew the measure until after the 90-day emergency ban expires.

The no-parking ordinance would have taken effect in an area adjacent to the razed area.

Boyd said that the driveways for the buildings formerly took all but about four parking spaces in the 170-foot section of the street's north side.

"Our goal is to eliminate drug sales in that area," he said. "Once the buildings were torn down and before we implemented no parking on the south side of the street, we found that the drug dealers were simply parking in the area where the buildings used to be."

Boyd said The Taste wasn't really losing parking spaces because most of the south side of the street previously was used by drug buyers and sellers. He said the temporary no-parking measure has been successful and urged the council to make it permanent.

But Debra Willis of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People suggested a compromise.

"Why can't you prohibit parking during the day when his business isn't open," she said. "That would take care of people driving by looking for drugs.

"We're not talking about just parking spaces here. These are prime parking spaces directly across from his business."

Willis and Parker said they were pleased that the "Chicken Shack" and other buildings in the 400 block of Good Hope have been torn down, but questioned why the council would burden a legitimate business.

Council members also questioned the need to prohibit parking on the street.

"I'm not sure how this 172 feet is going to alleviate the (drug) problem there," said Councilman Melvin Gateley.

Councilman Mary Wulfers suggested the council let the 90-day emergency ban set in March expire and then re-evaluate the situation.

Councilman Al Spradling III concurred. "I recommend we have the ordinance in place so that when this (temporary ban) expires in June, the chief could take a look at the situation," he said. "If a problem arises, I would have no problem passing an ordinance to make it permanent."

In other business, the council agreed to plans by James T. and Fayleen Bruening to build a driveway in the right of way of an undeveloped street that connects with Lexington Avenue.

The Bruenings' property abuts Lexington and the right of way for Dixie Boulevard. Council members said they feared setting a bad precedent of allowing residents to build land-locked homes.

"You need to build a home on streets that exist, not on a street that doesn't exist," said Spradling. "Where do we stop? What about the neighbor next to the Bruenings who wants to do the same thing?

"We'll have people all over the city trying to build houses on undeveloped streets."

But other council members feared the only alternative for the Bruenings would be to build a driveway with direct access on Lexington, an arterial route.

Wulfers suggested the council should, at some point, consider an ordinance to restrict construction of a home unless the property has access to a non-arterial, developed street.

In other action, the council approved:

First reading of a measure adopting new procedural guidelines for council meetings.

A resolution to authorize engineering design work for a new Hopper Road bridge.

The appointment of John Schneider, Martha Bender and Tom Neumeyer to the city's Historic Preservation Commission.

A motion to authorize a letter of intent to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to close the city landfill.