Panel punts on Veterans Memorial Drive project

Members of a Cape Girardeau advisory board failed to reach agreement Monday on the proposed extension of Veterans Memorial Drive, opting instead to present two options to the City Council later this month.

One option would be to spend $2.3 million on design, acquisition and dirt work for future extension of the north-south street from Hopper Road to the Route K area. The second option calls for budgeting $200,000 for engineering work only.

Former Mayor Harry Rediger, chairman of the committee, said, “It is their (council’s) decision, and, obviously, we are divided.”

Board members said the public also appears divided over the project, with some wanting to spend $6 million to construct Veterans Memorial Drive rather than just do the preliminary work.

The advisory board recommended eight major street projects be funded as part of a transportation tax package to be placed before voters in April.

The measure would extend the transportation sales tax for another five years, generating an estimated $25 million in revenue for road maintenance, sidewalks and major street projects.

City Council members will make the final decision on what projects would be funded with the tax.

Besides the Veterans Memorial Drive project options, the advisory board recommended:

• Sprigg Street reconstruction, Southern Expressway to Shawnee Parkway/Highway 74, $2.95 million
• Lexington Avenue reconstruction, Carolina Lane to Sherwood Drive, $1.2 million
• Lexington Avenue reconstruction, West Cape Rock Drive to Sprigg Street, $1.2 million
• Bertling Street concrete repairs, Perryville Road to Big Bend Road, $1 million
• College Street, extension, from Minnesota Avenue to West End Boulevard, $800,000
• Route K school corridor intersection improvements, $500,000
• Maria Louise Lane/Kiwanis Drive/Broadview intersection study, $50,000

If only engineering work is budgeted for the Veterans Memorial Drive project, a second section of South Sprigg Street, from Shawnee Parkway to William Street, could be reconstructed at a cost of $2.1 million, committee members said.

Board member Tamara Zellars Buck argued in favor of funding both Sprigg Street projects.

“I think both of these have to be redone,” she said.

Buck is one of the leaders of a south Cape Girardeau revitalization organization called PORCH, which stands for People Organized to Revitalize Community Healing.

In order to spark economic development on the city’s south side, “we’ve got to have the infrastructure,” she said.

Transportation board member John Voss said he favored street reconstruction projects over new road construction. Voss and other board members said those who attended forums and provided input online pushed for fixing existing streets.

About $13 million of the transportation tax revenue would be spent on street repairs, according to the board.

Coupled with the major reconstruction projects, 88% of the tax dollars would be spent on “fixing our streets,” Rediger said.

Board member Jeff Glenn argued for including Veterans Memorial Drive in the list of projects.

“I just want some small sliver of this forward-focused,” he said.

The online survey drew 266 responses. A majority of survey participants did not view Veterans Memorial Drive as a high priority.

It ranked higher at the two public forums. The sessions drew responses from 49 residents.

Even if the public isn’t sold on the Veterans Memorial Drive project, Glenn said, “I am OK going against the grain.”

Rediger, who has been a strong advocate for the Veterans Memorial Drive project, said extending the street would help with traffic flow and open up new residential development on the city’s west side.

“To me, we’ve got to complete that phase,” he said.

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