Street widening cuts down trees along William

Crews moved down William Street Tuesday, chopping trees in preparation for a project that city officials say is essential to the blossoming of Old Town Cape Girardeau although some residents call it pointless.

Neighborhood opponents to the street-widening project said the city is killing perfectly good trees and ruining the character of once shady William Street for no good reason.

The project, estimated to cost about $500,000, would widen the portion of William that stretches from Sprigg to Main. Federal grant money is expected to pay the majority of those costs.

William would remain two lanes, and a turn lane will be added at the east intersection with Sprigg Street, said city engineer Mark Lester.

Jack Proffer, who lives at the southeast corner of William and Lorimier Streets, said the city's plan is misguided and outdated.

"They were convinced a long time ago that a casino was going to bring piles of people downtown," Proffer said. "Then when the casino guys saw the light, the city never changed the plan."

Proffer dismissed arguments that a wider William will be needed to accommodate increased traffic once the River Campus is built, calling the River Campus "another white elephant."

He said he appeared at several city council meetings to voice his opposition to the street-widening plan, but with unsatisfactory results.

'Cold concrete'

Tuesday, Proffer mowed his lawn as chain saw and chipping crews removed Maple trees across the street, "changing William Street from a soft thoroughfare to one that's just cold concrete," he said.

'Grand old trees'

Downtown businessman and former city councilman Tom Neumeyer said he hated to see the "grand old trees" cut down, but that it was a necessary step in creating an east-west corridor to and from Old Town Cape Girardeau.

Neumeyer cited the future River Campus, a planned riverfront walking and biking trail and the historic Red House reconstruction as examples of new downtown draws.

Current Ward 2 Councilman Charlie Herbst agreed. He called the widening of the street a safety issue.

"William Street is a natural conduit for traffic in that area," Herbst said. "And with the River Campus and other anchors downtown, the traffic will increase."

Still, he sympathizes with those who hate to see the trees go. "I've got maple trees in my yard that are over 50 years old," Herbst said.

He said he is confident the trees will be replaced. The city was recognized in recent years for its tree-planting programs.

Young replacement trees will need about 10 years growth before they offer decent shade.

City officials estimate that the maple trees cut Tuesday were about 75 years old.

That's pretty old for a street tree, said Rocky Hayes.

Hayes, an urban forester who serves on the city's tree board, said a tree's root system needs one-and-a-half times the room as the tree's crown. Street trees need to be tall and able to be pruned upward to allow for visibility.

An urban tree, with roots cramped by concrete and pavement, has a much harsher environment and a shorter life span than a forest tree, Hayes said.

Shade by toilets

Otis C. Belin, who lives at 136 Lorimier St. across from Indian Park, pointed out that the only shade left in the park is next to the portable toilets.

"And who wants to sit over there?" he asked.

The first he learned of the project was when he heard the chain saws.

"It doesn't make any sense," he said.

Lester said the project, part of the original Transportation Trust Fund drawn up in 1995, was drawn up when a proposed casino project was expected to draw additional traffic downtown.

But when the casino project was canceled, merchants who wanted better access to downtown asked the city to keep plans to widen William.

"We're fulfilling the will of city council as well as several civic groups," Lester said. The project will benefit the entire community.

The wider street will help serve the downtown area, Neumeyer said, especially when the River Campus is complete.

More motorists will use that section of William after a new downtown exit is built to connect to the new Mississippi River bridge route, he said.

abuchanan@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160