Jackson mayor vetos board's OK of street extension

Attempts to block extension of a Jackson road as development continues on the north side of town ended in frustration Monday evening for three families.

The Jackson Board of Aldermen approved the abandonment of a street easement near Greensferry Road on a 5-3 vote, but the victory for those seeking the action was shortlived. Mayor Paul Sander vetoed the measure on the grounds that it violated established city policies for new development.

With the veto, the issue will be automatically reconsidered at a future meeting. Six votes are needed to override Sander.

At issue was whether Shawn Drive, which runs for one block between Francis Drive and Goodson Drive in a subdivision north of Brookside Park, should be extended when developer Ron Clark builds Nine Oaks Subdivision. The easements are already in place for the road, but it is a "paper road" that is unnecessary, Steve Ledbetter told the aldermen.

Ledbetter and his wife, along with Howard and Shirley Duer and Steve and Erika Sokolowski, own property that is adjacent to the street easement. They wanted the city to abandon its easement to prevent the street construction and to keep traffic away from their homes.

Speaking to the aldermen, Steve Sokolowski noted that Clark's proposed subdivision and other proposals include a baseball field and community center nearby. If constructed, the extension of Shawn Drive would become an access to those facilities, Sokolowski said.

"We do not need an intersection down there," he said.

City ordinances on subdivisions require two exits. Clark has agreed to build a bridge over Hubble Creek on the west side of his proposed development to provide an exit from his subdivision onto U.S. 61. The east side will open to Greensferry Road.

Alderman Kerry Hoffman objected to the abandonment, noting that city ordinances require subdivisions to be interconnected as well as have multiple exits. In 15 instances in the past 10 years, he said, the city has required developers to pave street easements or purchase additional right of way to connect streets. Abandoning the street would set a bad precedent, he said.

"You want to do what is right for the total community instead of a few people," he said.

After the vote, Sander issued his veto and said he agreed with Hoffman that the city needs consistency in applying ordinances.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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