Sikeston council votes down zoning change for U.S. 61

SIKESTON, Mo. -- City zoning on U.S. 61 North will remain as it is now: commercial.

During its special meeting Monday, the Sikeston City Council voted down a request to rezone approximately 30 acres alongside the highway north of the Scott County Health Department from C-1 neighborhood shopping and C-3 highway commercial to O-1 office district.

Comprehensive plans for the city back to the 1970s recommended that northern corridor for commercial use, according to Trey Hardy, community redevelopment coordinator. Before that, "it was all agricultural or unzoned," he said.

The city Planning and Zoning Commission voted Jan. 3 to not approve the request from John W. Grimm, a Cape Girardeau attorney, on behalf of his client, Brad Bedell.

Grimm said Planning and Zoning Commission members only have the option to vote "thumbs up or thumbs down" on the request.

Also, when the city's comprehensive plans were drafted, the city had "just very, very broad categories," he said. "It didn't have any breakdown of commercial."

Grimm asked council members to consider rezoning all of that area as the more restrictive C-1 if they wouldn't zone it as an office district.

Josh Bill, who owns the undeveloped property with his wife, said undeveloped land in that area "is for sale -- it has always been for sale, and the client of Mr. Grimm knows that."

"The original plan was a good one," said Trisha Bill, Josh Bill's wife. She noted that if someone decides they want to build offices in that area, "it can be accomplished."

With Mayor Jerry Pullen not present to vote and councilman Mike Bohannon casting the only vote in favor of the measure, the rezoning request failed with a vote of 1-5.

In related business, city resident Jim Crowe asked city officials about city ordinances providing for anyone to request a zoning change whether they own the property or not.

"Is there some way of eliminating that"? Crowe asked.

"We're right now fact finding to find out how other communities do that," City Manager Doug Friend said. "We're looking into it."

Pertinent address:

Sikeston, MO