Shipping-container homes not allowed in Cape, Jackson

Shipping containers won't be approved for residential dwellings in Jackson or Cape Girardeau, but developer Quinn Strong's original project is still underway.

Strong's Capital Real Estate Group is building a 3,400-square-foot duplex at the corner of Washington Avenue and Middle Street in Cape Girardeau, which will be rental property, he said when reached by phone Friday.

Neither Cape Girardeau nor Jackson had provisions in their respective zoning ordinances addressing shipping containers when Strong applied for a building permit, which ultimately was granted.

But that building permit set off months of debate, with Cape Girardeau City Council members arguing against the structures on aesthetic grounds and potential safety concerns.

Strong then petitioned the planning and zoning, or P&Z, commission in Jackson, which held a public hearing in October.

At that hearing, no one spoke in favor of using shipping containers as building materials.

Strong did not attend the October hearing.

The Cape Girardeau City Council had voted in September to restrict shipping-container usage to temporary storage, one month before the hearing.

Jackson building superintendent Janet Sanders said at the October hearing that the commission's role is to determine what shipping containers can be used for, whether temporary or permanent structures, as residential dwellings, or other uses, and in what zones those uses would be allowable.

At the time, Jackson's planning and zoning ordinances did not specifically address shipping containers, but did not allow builders to include used building materials. Shipping containers would fall under that category, Sanders said in October.

At a Dec. 13 meeting of the P&Z commission, Sanders presented an updated draft ordinance based on notes of previous P&Z discussions, according to meeting notes.

At the study session for the Jan. 22 board of aldermen regular meeting, Sanders said the draft includes no residential recommendation, only storage and specific usage.

The draft allows short-term and long-term storage uses, and in some way, shape or form, temporary use is allowed in every zoning district, Sanders added.

Sanders said the P&Z commission did a lot of research and discussed the matter at length before coming up with the draft, which, she said, they basically built from scratch.

The draft ordinance includes allowing short-term, "pod-type" storage in residential neighborhoods, which Sanders said is already being done.

The P&Z commission has made its recommendation, and now it's up to the board of aldermen to hold hearings and discussions before amending the city's zoning ordinances.

Jackson Mayor Dwain Hahs suggested holding the public hearing at the next board of aldermen regular meeting, Feb. 5, to gather input from members of the public who would like to give feedback on the proposed ordinance.

Two meetings after that Feb. 5 meeting would allow for discussion by the aldermen, mayor and city staff.

Developer Strong, for his part, said he applauds both city governments for not having dismissed the idea out of hand, but he is disappointed shipping-container homes aren't being embraced as a concept.

"We have our letter of compliance with state," Strong said. "We meet or exceed every building code the city of Cape has for a residential structure, so why they're banned from being used when [the plans] meet or exceed every code, I couldn't tell you that."

Obviously, Strong said, elected officials have a lot of considerations to factor into their decisions, which have to be the best for the entire municipality.

But, he said, "At what point do we as a society have the right to offer opinions against something else?"

Strong said if the argument against shipping-container homes is purely aesthetic, it's unfair to single out one type of structure over another, provided all safety requirements and code standards are met.

In the future, Strong said, it may be possible to look into commercial uses for shipping containers as building materials.

"I would love to be able to talk more about this," Strong said, adding he's made several contacts and several opportunities have presented themselves since this discussion began last year.

"I'm just really hoping for the future," Strong said.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

Washington and Middle streets, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

101 Court St., Jackson, Mo.