ZONING BOARD REJECTS PROJECT

Keep it R-1!

That was the resounding message from Cape Girardeau residents who spoke out against rezoning a 33-acre tract of land from ~a single family residential district to a multiple family residential district.

A petition signed by 163 home owners who are against proposed development west of Perryville Road and south of Lexington Avenue was presented to the Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday night. Wednesday's meeting attracted a crowd large enough that several had to stand to await the outcome of the commission's final vote.

"There are home owners adjacent to the proposed development who moved into that area with the idea it would be R-1 and would like to see that trend continue," said Barbara Glass, who was the chief spokesman for the group opposed to the development.

The development would include 134 units. Only 38 would be single family dwellings that would sell for $100,000 to $150,000. Another 20 units would be four-plex condominiums and 44 would be townhouses. The remaining 32 units would be built into eight-unit apartment buildings.

The development also would include a management office and space for an small commercial property. The project also envisions a day care center.

But the developer, Dr. Robert Gardner of Cape Girardeau, will have to take his project to the city council without the commission's recommendation.

Following a meeting that lasted more than four hours, the commission voted against a recommendation to rezone the tract.

Glass cited several concerns by the group opposed to the development. Among those was an estimated increase in the area's population of 550 people, which would make traffic too congested on Perryville, Lexington and Cape Rock.

Another concern is the inability of an already crowded Alma Schrader School, the closest elementary school, to serve families of the new development.

"We are concerned with water drainage of the new development and how it would affect the adjacent property," said Glass. "They say they want to put in commercial buildings including a day care center. Well most of the people who live next this proposed development are from 40 years old to 80. I do not believe we are in the need for a day care center."

Chris Taylor, a spokesman for Gardner's Rendrag Development Corporation, said his group already has consulted with the city staff on many of the issues raised. He said the company is prepared to amend their plan to work out a compromise with adjoining property owners.

"We have already done extensive work on this project after buying the property a year ago," Taylor said. "We would do what the city says is necessary to make this work. Before we can go forward with the preliminary plans, however, we need to know if this commission thinks this is feasible."

But commissioners shared some of the concerns of area property owners.

"It's a beautiful concept, but I don't think it's very practical," said Commissioner R.J. McKinney. "I don't see how fire trucks could get in there and put out a fire the way this is set up."

Several commission members questioned whether property owners would oppose another developer proposing a similar project.

"We're not opposed to progress," said Glass. "We just want to make sure you know that if it is to be developed, it should stay R-1. Some of us have lived in our property for 35 years. If we want to sell our homes, we don't want the value to go down from a development like this."