ZONING CONFLICT BRINGS NEW WOES FOR BUS COMPANY

For the fourth time in a little more than a year, the Cape Girardeau Greyhound bus station is an orphan searching for a home.

The new bus terminal, which opened just five days ago at Spanky's convenience store at 353 S. Kingshighway, closed Monday night after the agent and owner of the store, city Councilman David Barklage, was notified the terminal violated city zoning regulations.

However, seven regularly scheduled Greyhound buses will apparently continue to stop at the convenience store to pick up and discharge passengers. Passengers will have to purchase their tickets at the next station, either Sikeston or Perryville.

The store manager at Spanky's, Vivian Barlow, said Tuesday that Barklage notified her not to reopen the bus station on Tuesday morning after the normal 7 p.m. Monday closing time.

But she said buses were still making their regularly scheduled stops at the store Tuesday. "We're just not selling tickets or processing freight anymore," she said.

Barklage was out of town Tuesday and not available for comment.

Becky Figliolo with the Cape Girardeau Planning Services Office said city planner Kent Bratton notified Barklage Monday the bus terminal did not conform to zoning requirements at that location.

She explained the convenience store is in an area zoned C-2, general commercial. "Bus terminals are only permitted in C-3, M-1, or M-2 zoned areas," said Figliolo. "They could operate a bus terminal at that location with a C-2 classification if a special use permit is obtained, or if it is rezoned to C-3 or higher."

She said Bratton informed Barklage he could apply for the special use permit or close the bus station.

She said it normally takes about 2-2 months to process applications for special use permits or re-zoning.

This is the fourth time since March 1990 that the city has been without a fullservice bus terminal. The Union Bus Depot at 16 N. Frederick closed 16 months ago after serving as the Greyhound station for more than 40 years.

After the 16 N. Frederick depot was closed, a new bus station was opened at a convenience store at 1101 William. But that station was closed five months later, in August 1990, after complaints of traffic problems and noise from neighbors. The bus station re-opened Sept. 4, in a renovated building at Sprigg and Themis, across from Kelley Transportation Co. But it was closed last month. The station reopened at the South Kingshighway location on July 18.

In addition to passengers, Greyhound also delivers and picks up items of freight each day. The American Red Cross, in particular, has used Greyhound for shipments of whole blood.