JACKSON ALDERMEN IMPOSE RESTRICTIONS ON SOME STREETS

JACKSON -- Jackson drivers soon will have a number of new stop signs and no-parking signs to pay attention to.

The Jackson Board of Aldermen on Monday night approved a series of ordinances adding to the city's stop and no-parking designations on streets.

The changes were recommended by the Jackson Police Department, the board and the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission to improve traffic flow and safety.

A total of 15 new stop signs will be added within the city, including a sign at Oak Street and Farmington expected to ease traffic flow and improve safety near the schools in the area.

Another ordinance will set 50 new no-parking designations along certain city streets. Farmington Road will have a number of no-parking areas along its length.

The changes do not affect the city's uptown area, which Mayor Paul Sander said will be addressed later.

In other business Monday, the board approved an ordinance providing for improvements to the 200 block South Bast Street. Residents had petitioned the city to pave the street and make other improvements, but many balked at the engineer's estimate of nearly $50,000 for the job.

In approving the ordinance, the city is advancing the project to the next step of taking bids. But Sander pointed out that the board still can decide not to proceed with the paving project if the bids are deemed too high.

"This in no way obligates the board to pave that street," Sander said.

The bids will be based on a street that is 36 feet wide, as planned. But Sander said one of the options the board still can explore after receiving the bids is a 30-foot-wide street.

He noted that the board itself has a considerable amount of concern about the possible cost of paving the street. At a public hearing, one resident said she would have to move if forced to pay her share of the projected paving costs.

The board also unanimously rejected an ordinance which would have rezoned property at 1600 N. High street from single-family residential to general commercial. Ronald Clark and Bobby Clark had made the request because they propose building a nine-hole golf course at the location.

At a previous public hearing, a number of residents spoke in favor of the request and one man spoke against.

The city's Planning and Zoning Commission had rejected the request for rezoning, recommending a special-use permit instead. A four-sevenths vote of the Board of Aldermen was required to pass the rezoning request.

After the vote, Ronald Jones said he has not decided whether to bring the project back before the city for a special-use permit.