P&Z RECOMMENDS SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR PET GROOMERS

Cape Girardeau's Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend approval of a special use permit for a dog grooming business on William Street Wednesday night.

The applicants, Susan and Stephen Engelmann and Laurie Swain, had originally sought to rezone the property at 1608 William from R-2 single family residential to C-2 general commercial.

Plans call for constructing a new 30-by-40 foot building behind the existing house in which the dog grooming business will be operated.

But commission members said they would oppose the rezoning request because it would constitute spot zoning, "and we've steered away from that," said R.J. McKinney, commission chairman.

McKinney suggested Swain and the Engelmanns consider applying for a special use permit, which would be valid only while they own the property and only for the specified use.

Waiting to apply for the special use permit -- and waiting until the next meeting of the commission before the application could be voted on -- would delay the purchase of the property too much, Swain said.

Kent Bratton, city planner, said the commission could opt to approve a special use permit in lieu of the zoning change, with the stipulations that a lot plan be submitted showing the proposed layout of the new building.

Neighboring property owners could voice their concerns to the City Council when it took action on the request, Bratton said.

McKinney and commissioner Charles Haubold said they were concerned about changing the request because the commission did not already have drawings showing the suggested use of the property.

"What we have to do is look at this from would we approve it if it came to us as a special use permit," said Tom Mogelnicki, vice chairman of the commission.