P&Z RECOMMENDS PERMIT FOR JUNK YARD NEAR BRIDGE ROUTE

A view of a dry dock, fuel farm, scrap metal operation and now possibly a junk yard will welcome motorists crossing the Mississippi River into Cape Girardeau on the planned bridge and relocated Highway 74.

The dry dock and fuel tank storage site already are situated within a block of where the new bridge route will go.

The Cape Girardeau City Council has approved a scrap metal recycling operation along Giboney Street, also in view of the bridge route, and on Wednesday the city's Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of a permit for an automobile salvage company at Giboney and Maple.

The junk yard has been there for years, but pressure from city hall forced the current operator, Lester Sample, to seek a special use permit.

"(The city) didn't see anything illegal down there for 17 years," Sample told the commission Wednesday.

Terry Juden, who owns about six acres abutting the 1/3-acre tract where junk autos are stored, backed Sample.

"The stuff's been down there for a long time," Juden said. "I don't think you can pin that on him. He's just inherited it."

Juden said he didn't think a junk yard was an ideal business for the area. He said that although the tract he owns has four different zoning designations, he had hoped the area would develop residential.

"I think it would be better for that part of town to go uphill instead of downhill," Juden said.

But Sample said if the city granted him the permit, he planned to "clean up" the property, erecting a solid fence around the junk cars. He also said the cars would stay there just long enough to strip parts for sale before the shells were moved to another site he owns in Fruitland.

"It actually sounds like he's probably going to do better than what's there now..." said Juden. "I guess if we're going to look at this issue now, you ought to take steps to clean it up."

But some commissioners said they feared the lot was too small for the salvage operation.

Commissioner Tom Mogelnicki, who voted against the recommendation, said he thought the business would be unsightly.

"The dry dock is not a pretty sight. The (metal recycling) operation is not pretty, and I guess this won't be worse than that," he said. "But I just don't want any junk yards in the city."

Commissioner Tom Holshouser said he had mixed feelings about the business, but later voted with the 6-2 majority in favor of recommending the council approve the permit.

"That may not be the ideal use of the property, but if he's going to put a fence in, clean it up and run a business, it's going to be an improvement," he said.

In other business, the commission recommended the council rezone the northwest corner of Lexington and Perryville Road from single-family residential to local commercial district.

The owner of the site, Harold Werner, said he plans to put two shops on the property. The site is bordered by Lexington, Perryville Road, a Wink's convenience store and gas station, and apartments.

"The lot's really no good for residential right now," said Werner. "We've got a big need for a couple shops right there.

"Lots of people would like to have maybe a beauty shop or laundromat there. I think the north end of town needs more of these shops."