KENT DRIVE EXTENSION PROJECT ONCE AGAIN IN LIMBO

The on-again, off-again status of a Kent Drive extension to Lexington is in limbo as the Cape Girardeau City Council Monday voted against a subdivision plan that would have left the street a dead end.

The council Nov. 2 approved first reading of an ordinance to accept the subdivision plan by P. David Gerlach, the developer of the area where Kent Drive's situated.

But after objections were raised by residents of the neighborhood, several of whom were at Monday's council meeting, the council voted 5-0 with two abstentions against the ordinance.

"We blew it on Kent Street," said council member Mary Wulfers in reference to the Nov. 2 vote at Monday's council study session. "I, for one, plan to change my vote."

The council previously held that the street must be extended to Lexington to improve access in the Woodland Hills subdivision.

But the developer, P. David Gerlach of Randol Farms Development, has said the design of Lexington makes the Kent Drive extension too costly and impractical.

He said Monday that the city changed the design of Lexington midstream, which reduced from six to two the number of lots in the subdivision he could develop.

"Our original plan was to build the street and before Lexington was changed we would have been able to do that and recoup those costs through development," Gerlach said. "The way it was built, it's impossible to do that. Everything that was up to me is what I've done."

But residents of Woodland Hills, represented Monday by attorney and resident Kevin Spaeth, contended that it was improper for the council to nix plans for the street extension after taking action previously to put the street through.

Councilman Al Spradling III said one of the primary reasons the council approved first reading of the ordinance to accept Gerlach's plan was that no neighbors were at the public hearing Nov. 2 to voice their objections.

"We thought the issue was decided a year ago last August," said Spaeth. "That's why there wasn't a large contingent there two weeks ago."

Residents of Woodland Hills, particularly those who live on Belleridge Pike, have said Kent is needed to relieve traffic on their street.

But attorney Joseph Russell, who spoke Monday on behalf of Gerlach, said the completion of Abbey Road to Lexington west of Woodland Hills sufficiently lessens the traffic on Belleridge Pike.

"We question whether Kent Street access to Lexington would have any impact on current traffic patterns," Russell said.

The attorney said the city could waive acceptance of the subdivision and force the street in later through condemnation, which would enable Gerlach to sell one of the lots to a church.

But it's unclear what the city will do with the issue, and Wulfers said she wanted to get cost estimates on the Kent extension before deciding the matter.

In other business Monday, the council appointed six citizens and Councilman Melvin Kasten to a commission that will attempt to resolve legal questions surrounding a city ward representation initiative that voters approved Nov. 3.

All six citizens were people who worked to get the issue on the ballot. They include Lawrence Godfrey, Michael Sterling, Bernice Coar-Cobb, Opal McManus, Spaeth and Tom M. Meyer.

Applications for positions on the commission will be accepted until the council's next meeting Dec. 7, when a full commission will be appointed.

The council also approved:

The appointment of Tom Heath and Ed Kaiser to the Golf Course Advisory Board; Jim Crain, Tom Mogelnicki and Dennis Vollink to the Planning and Zoning Commission; and City Manager J. Ronald Fischer to the Show Me Center Board of Managers.

20A variance to the floodplain management regulations for a structure proposed for Arena Park by the Breakfast Optimist Girls Softball League.