Jackson aldermen vote to rezone multiple properties

The Jackson Board of Aldermen on Monday night approved rezoning of nearly a dozen parcels of property along East Jackson Boulevard, Clover Drive and Hilltop Drive.

The board’s action followed a brief public hearing at which no one spoke in opposition to the rezoning, which had previously been approved and recommended to the aldermen by the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission.

According to Jackson building and planning manager Janet Sanders, the board’s unanimous vote “cleaned up” some zoning irregularities along those streets.

“It recently came to our attention there were some properties in the area that were not properly zoned,” she said. “This action makes the zoning fit for what the properties are being used for.”

The rezoned properties include:

• 2525 E. Jackson Blvd., from R-4 general residential to C-2 general commercial.
• 2612 E. Jackson Blvd. (part), from I-1 light industrial to C-2 general commercial.
• 2620 E. Jackson Blvd. (part), from C-2 general commercial to I-1 light industrial.
• 2625 E. Jackson Blvd., from R-4 general residential to C-2 general commercial.
• 2640 E. Jackson Blvd. (part), from C-2 general commercial to I-1 light industrial.
• 2737 E. Jackson Blvd. (part), from R-4 general residential to C-2 general commercial.
• 1307, 2838 and 2848 Clover Drive, all from I-1 light industrial to R-2 single family residential.
• 2615 Hilltop Drive, from O-1 professional office to C-2 general commercial.
• 2619 Hilltop Drive, from R-2 single family residential to C-2 general commercial.

Community college study contribution

Following a discussion at their study session two weeks ago, the Jackson aldermen Monday night approved a $10,000 contribution to the Great River Community College District Committee for Affordable Technical Education.

The appropriation will go toward a feasibility study and needs analysis for a proposed technical college in Cape Girardeau.

The aldermen’s vote to approve the appropriation followed a presentation at a board study session two weeks ago by Rich Payne, chairman of the Great River Community College District. At the board’s Dec. 21 meeting, Payne explained the study is one of several steps in a lengthy process leading up to a vote tentatively scheduled for April 2022 on whether to create a taxing district to fund the college.

The feasibility study, according to Payne, will cost $98,375. Counting Jackson’s $10,000 appropriation, the Great River Community College District has now raised $60,000 toward that cost. Other contributing entities to date are $10,000 from Perry County, $10,000 from the City of Perryville, Missouri, and $30,000 from the Industrial Development Authority of Cape Girardeau County.

On Monday night, the Cape Girardeau City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to appropriate $20,000 toward the study

Other board actions

In other business Monday night, the aldermen:

• Set 6 p.m. Jan. 20 as the time and date for a public hearing to consider abandonment of a portion of an access and parking easement in Skinny’s Subdivision, as requested by CZL Investments LLC.
• Approved a final change order in the amount of $16,954.39 to Mike Light Cement Finishing Inc. of Perryville, Missouri, in connection with Jackson’s annual pavement improvement program.
• Approved a change order to increase the contract time by 30 days to Jokerst Inc. of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, relative to the first phase of the Williams Creek sanitary sewer extension project.
• Approved a resolution for the limited use of a portion of the South Georgia Street public right of way by owners of the property at 320 E. Jefferson St.
• Voted to change the date of the Jackson Board of Aldermen’s regular meeting and study session from Feb. 15 to Feb. 17 to avoid conflict with Presidents Day.
• Approved an ordinance authorizing the mayor to sign depository agreements with Southern Bank, Wood & Huston Bank, Alliance Bank and U.S. Bank.