Council reviews plan of River Campus museum

Though the location has not been pinned down, the River Campus Board of Managers, with the help of several consultants, has etched out a basic floor plan of a proposed River Campus museum.

Dr. Stanley Grand, Southeast Missouri State University's art museum director who is spearheading the planning for the museum, updated the Cape Girardeau City Council Monday night on the project.

The proposed building will feature a 4,000-square foot permanent collection exhibit which will feature a "crossroads" theme and be broken down into five areas-- orientation and geological, cultural, economic, modern and political.

In addition to the permanent collection area, the museum will have a small theater for a 19-minute video program presenting the history of Southeast Missouri and an area designated for temporary exhibitions that will change out every six to eight weeks, Grand said.

The proposed museum would cost anywhere between $8.5 million and $9 million.

Zoning notification

At the council study session, Ward 3 councilman Jay Purcell brought out what he saw was a flaw in the city's notification process when concerning zoning and special-use notifications.

Currently, big yellow signs are posted on the property where a zoning change might take place, but only before the issue goes to the council.

Purcell and Mayor Jay Knudtson both said they thought the signs were placed before the issue went to the planning and zoning commission. Purcell, who along with Knudtson said he often based his vote on the fact that there was no opposition to a particular issue, didn't realize the signs were not posted before the commission's meeting until he saw a yellow sign posted in his neighborhood.

The council could change the notification process at the next council meeting.

Ward 6 representative Marcia Ritter asked that the council consider a change in the city's notification process in dealing with sewer districts.

bmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127