P&Z FAVORS REZONING FOR DONWTOWN APARTMENT

Cape Girardeau's Planning and Zoning Commission will recommend granting a zoning change for a new apartment building downtown.

The commission voted unanimously Wednesday night to grant the request of Charles and Judith Hutson to rezone 238 S. Spanish St. from M-1 light industrial to R-4 multiple family residential.

John Boardman, the architect for the project, said the Hutsons and their investors plan to tear down the buildings on the property -- a dilapidated quonset hut and block building used as a warehouse -- and construct a two-story building that will contain four 1,500-square-foot apartments.

The lot is at the corner of South Spanish and Good Hope.

"The idea will be to utilize a view of the river, which is rare in Cape Girardeau," Boardman said.

Commissioners said the project will be a good addition for downtown, especially in light of Southeast Missouri State University's plans to develop a campus on the St. Vincent's Seminary property and the proposed creation of a historic district in the area.

Harry Rediger said the apartments "could be a catalyst for future projects" downtown.

No opposition was voiced to the project.

In other action, the commission recommended approving a special-use permit to allow construction of a church at the northwest corner of Lexington and Steven Drive in an R-1 single family residential area. Ruth and Earl Norman and the North Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses filed the request.

Earl Norman said the congregation's church will be torn down as Mount Auburn Road is extended to Highway 74.

The new building would house a congregation of about 90, with parking for 65 vehicles, Norman said.

The Lexington lot is unsuitable for residential development, he said.

The request was approved unanimously, but commissioners Jim Ramage and Tom Mogelnicki questioned why the special-use permit for the church was approved when requests for commercial operations along Lexington, including a car wash and an insurance office at Lexington and Perryville Road, have been rejected.

"I'm certainly not against building a church. I think we need more of them," Ramage said. "I do wonder why we voted down a car wash about half a mile away and an insurance office about 100 yards away. It doesn't make sense."

Dennis Vollink said a church will be less disruptive than most commercial establishments.

"We have churches in neighborhoods all over the city," he said.

Commercial operations such as the proposed car wash are "a different beast than a church in an area like this," he said.