Planning commission rejects historic district proposal

The Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission rejected Wednesday a proposed historic residential district near Southeast Missouri State University when opponents of the proposal said it was too restrictive and had changed too much from the original idea.

Only one person who favored the proposal appeared. A group of residents circulated a petition last year to create a Boulevard Historic District between West End Boulevard and the university north of Broadway. The commission had the opportunity to send the proposal on to the city council for approval in March. Instead, it sent the proposal back the city's Historic Preservation Advisory Commission for more work.

During the public hearing, two families who live on Hillcrest Drive said that as the district proposal has moved forward, it has focused too much on imposing restrictions on how people can make changes to their homes. People who signed the original proposal were concerned about conversion of homes to rental properties aimed at students and the accompanying parking and noise problems, not whether a new porch or tree fit a commission's idea of what was proper, said John Tansil, a physics professor.

"It is not proper for the city to impose these restrictive rules on property owners after the fact" of purchase, Tansil said. He and his wife have lived at 1225 Hillcrest Drive for 25 years, he said, and have replaced cedar siding and columns with other material because cedar is hard to maintain and attracts pests.

David and Lynn McClain worried their home on Hillcrest Drive could not be made more attractive because of new rules.

Charles DiStefano, who supports the district, agreed there is confusion over what would be allowed and sought to quiet concerns by suggesting a review after one year.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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