COUNCIL OKs SIX SPECIAL-USE PERMITS

The Cape Girardeau City Council approved six special-use permits and a zoning change Monday for individuals, churches, businesses and a school seeking to make renovations or change the use of their property.

Special-use permits are required by city ordinance if the usage of a building changes but its zoning classification does not. Most churches and schools operate under special-use permits because they are situated in neighborhood areas.

Special-use permits allow the city to have "tighter control" over what zoning is allowed in a neighborhood without having spot zoning situations, said Ken Eftink, development services coordinator in the city's planning department.

The council approved the permits based on recommendations from the city's Planning and Zoning Commission. There were no residents to speak in opposition during the public hearing segment of the meeting.

Councilman Tom Neumeyer voiced the only opposition to an ordinance to change zoning for property at 812 and 836 N. Sprigg St.

The property is in a residential area and changing its zoning to commercial would constitute spot zoning, Neumeyer said.

"The closest commercial property is to the north a block away." he said. "It's not contiguous and I feel that would be a form of spot zoning" to make the change.

The council approved the zoning change with a 6-1 vote.

The special-use permits, however, passed with no opposition.

Greater Dimension Ministries plans to open a child development center at 1215 S. Sprigg St., with its permit.

The center is not like a regular child-care program, said director Janice Collier of Greater Dimension Church. "Child care would be like baby-sitting and this is a development center, with continuous and comprehensive programs."

The early Head Start program will also offer help to families and expectant mothers in the neighborhood.

"We'll offer the support and counseling and information they would need," Collier said.

The center will have 30 openings and will be the only infant and toddler program operating in the neighborhood.

Four spots will be available to special-needs children and four to expectant mothers. Collier said the center should open by the end of the month. It will be in a renovated portion of the old church building.

Lynwood Baptist Church doesn't have much room left in its building at 2935 Lynwood Hills Drive, so the congregation hopes to build an addition for classroom space. The church moved in 1998 to better accommodate its growing congregation.

The church had asked for a special-use permit for the addition and a second permit to allow it to use mobile units for office space and classrooms while the addition is being built.

The mobile homes are only a temporary solution. "It's just a convenience to help us get started," said Councilman Melvin Gateley, a member of the church.

Lynwood plans to start construction soon, with the project completed within a year, said Charles Haubold, chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission.