One-way Water Street sought for Cape

Cape Girardeau's Water Street would be realigned as a one-way street between Independence and Broadway and dressed up with a decorative sidewalk of red paving stones, a rail and interpretive signs about the floodwall murals under a plan proposed by downtown business leaders.

The improvement plan includes diagonal on-street parking on the east side of the street. The street currently has two-way traffic. The plan would restrict the street to northbound traffic.

The planning and zoning commission approved the plan at its meeting Wednesday night. The city council will consider the proposal when it meets Tuesday.

Catherine Dunlap, executive director of the downtown revitalization program Old Town Cape, told the commissioners the improvement plan would allow visitors to better view the new 24-panel mural being painted on the city side of the concrete Mississippi River floodwall.

Dunlap said the street currently is bordered on the east side by a 3-foot-wide sidewalk inadequate to handle visitors who want to view the murals.

The plan would provide a more decorative sidewalk that would be twice as wide. Downtown civic leaders also want to include decorative lighting and benches on concrete islands near the floodwall gates.

"We think this makes it more pedestrian friendly," said Dennis "Doc" Cain, who owns Port Cape Girardeau restaurant on Water Street.

Cain told commissioners he expects downtown merchants as a whole will support the project.

The plan to remove parking on the west side of the street shouldn't pose a problem because there are two nearby parking lots -- one at each end of Water Street, he said.

Commissioner Robert Blank suggested the parking spaces on Water Street be restricted to two-hour parking to accommodate visitors and prevent people from using the spaces as all-day parking.

Though no agreement has been drawn up, project planners expect funding would come from the River Heritage Mural Association, the Downtown Redevelopment Corp. and the city of Cape Girardeau.

Tim Blattner, who heads the mural association, said the goal is to proceed with final engineering for the project and to make the improvements so they can be completed by September or October when the murals are scheduled to be finished.

But he and Dunlap said the private groups first want to get the approval of the city council before spending $11,000 for the final engineering work. Dunlap said they want to hire a private engineering firm to draw up the final plans.

The mural association has hired Chicago artist Thomas Melvin to paint a mural that will cover the floodwall from 150 feet north of Broadway south to Independence Street. It will extend the entire 15-foot height of the wall. When completed, the mural will look like a rusticated stone wall with arches that will frame 24 panels with historical themes. It is designed so that viewers think they are looking through the wall to the scenes.

Commissioner Raymond Buhs is concerned about allowing two-traffic on Broadway between Main and Water streets if Water Street is made a one-way street.

"I think you are creating a traffic problem," Buhs said. He suggested it might be better to make that section of Broadway one way since motorists heading east wouldn't be able to turn right onto Water Street if the improvements are made.

Dunlap said the issue could be addressed in the final engineering stage and changes made if needed.

In other business, the Planning and Zoning Commission endorsed a proposed signalized intersection at Silver Springs Road and South Kingshighway that the city and the Missouri Department of Transportation plan to build.

The commission also recommended the city council grant a special-use permit to Wendy and Dennis Pennington to operate a day-care facility in a house at 832 S. Sprigg St. Commissioners said the business would provide a badly needed service on the city's south side.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123