MAYOR PLAN MAY PROVIDE NEEDED HOMES

A proposed residential development at Sprigg and Bertling could provide affordable housing that Cape Girardeau needs, says Mayor Al Spradling III.

"There is no question there is a need for it," Spradling said. "There has been a hue and cry for housing."

DeHarder Real Estate of Satellite Beach, Fla., has submitted a preliminary plat that calls for building 59 rental homes southeast of the Sprigg and Bertling intersection.

Birdie Rader, a local real estate broker and an opponent of the project, said DeHarder has an option to buy the land.

The property is owned by local developer Keith Deimund's children, Rader said.

Deimund couldn't be reached for comment.

Deimund proposed developing the site three years ago. He initially asked that the tract be zoned for commercial and residential use.

In November 1992, he told the Planning and Zoning Commission that a convenience store might be erected, along with apartment buildings, duplexes and single-family homes.

But planning and zoning commissioners questioned the idea of rezoning any land at the site for commercial use.

In December 1992, Deimund amended his request. At his request, the City Council agreed to multi-family zoning for the section of land that previously had been proposed for commercial use.

DeHarder's rental housing project calls for a subdivision that would have access from both Sprigg and Bertling.

Birdie and her husband, Bill, live in a neighborhood of expensive homes just east of the proposed development.

They and other neighbors worry that the development could cause drainage problems along Sloan Creek, which flows through the area.

Neighbor Bill Spitzmiller, who lives on Sylvan Lane, said the wooded area is home to deer, turkey and other wildlife.

The project would destroy that habitat, he said. "It is just one of those things I think we should preserve."

Traffic congestion is another concern of neighbors.

Southeast Missouri State University has an athletic field on the southwest corner of the intersection.

People park on both sides of Sprigg Street when they come to play or watch events there.

Also, there is traffic congestion when events are held at the nearby Show Me Center, the Raders said.