Cape Girardeau City Council approves parking restrictions near SEMO

Students returning to class this fall at Southeast Missouri State University could be surprised to find they are no longer allowed to park on side streets near campus.

At Monday night's meeting, the Cape Girardeau City Council took a first step in approving an ordinance that will prohibit weekday parking from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on West End Boulevard and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on other streets in the Boulevard Local Historic District, including Normal Avenue, Park Avenue and Highland Drive.

The majority of the district's residents are in favor of the ordinance, but a group of homeowners opposing it appeared at the study session before the meeting.

Cindy Maher, who represented the residents on Highland Drive, said she and her neighbors don't want parking laws changed on their street.

"I spoke to nine of the 12 homeowners who live on our street, and eight of them don't want our street included in the ordinance," Maher said.

Highland Drive currently has an ordinance in place that prohibits weekday parking on one side of the street from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. but allows 24-hour parking on the alternate side.

Maher said Southeast students generally fill the open side of the street, but the majority of Highland Drive residents don't mind their presence.

"We don't have a problem with the university students parking on our street," Maher said. "I spoke to one of my neighbors, who is elderly, and she said they bring up her trash receptacle after pick up and bring her paper to her every day. Another neighbor, Mr. Ferguson, even built a path for the students to walk through his yard. We don't have a problem with the college kids. They're great."

Although the majority of Highland Drive residents don't mind student vehicles filling their street, their viewpoint is not shared by homeowners living on other streets in the ordinance who say students are a nuisance and frequently litter, block driveways and abandon vehicles for days at a time.

Other district residents who favor the ordinance spoke during the study session and said they still want a voucher system put in place that will ban students but allow residents to park on the street.

City manager Scott Meyer said council members did not favor a voucher system because they felt uncomfortable giving rights to some people while denying them to others.

City council members approved the ordinance but said it will be amended before its final passage at the next council meeting to reflect arguments made by residents.

ssemmler@semissourian.com

388-3648

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, MO