Jackson aldermen OK permit for home gunsmithing business

After delaying a vote in two previous meetings, the Jackson Board of Aldermen Tuesday night approved a special-use permit for a home-based gunsmithing business.

During its meeting the aldermen voted 6-1 to approve the permit, which allows Perry and Pamela Evans to operate the business at 1430 Douglas Drive. The Evanses were required to meet 13 conditions, such as no exterior advertisements indicating the business is at the location and by-appointment hours of operation.

A former employee at TG Missouri in Perryville, Mo., Perry Evans said he is optimistic about his business' future.

"It's a pretty good deal," Evans said. "We've been working on this for four months, so it feels good."

Ward 3 Alderman Mark Dambach was the dissenting vote. Dambach said he voted against the permit because of opposition from Evans' neighbors and others in the community. Dambach said he received 21 letters of opposition and a petition with 32 signatures of people against the permit.

Earlier in the meeting, Dambach and the other aldermen approved a special-use permit for Madonna West to operate her home-based catering business at 1030 Odus Drive. Dambach said he voted in favor of West's permit because she received no opposition and will not have delivery trucks or customers come onto her premises.

"We'll consider these on a case-by-case basis," Dambach said of future permits.

The aldermen also voted to delay a vote on rezoning the building that once housed the Joe Buerkle law firm at 709 E. Main St. from professional office district to local commercial district. The aldermen indicated a desire to notify residents near the property before a vote takes place.

The building that once housed Buerkle's law practice has sat empty since he surrendered his law license and was disbarred in August. Buerkle faces one felony count of stealing for allegedly taking $325,000 from a trust fund and depositing the money into his personal account. A trial date has yet to be set.

Other action

In other action, the aldermen also approved a resolution of support for the Clean Air Action Plan. Adopted by the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission, the voluntary plan is designed to reduce air emissions and potential health risks in the area.

Jackson and other communities in several Southeast Missouri counties face the possibility of being classified into a nonattainment area, meaning it could be included among those counties whose pollution is in excess of the Environmental Protection Agency's clean air standard. City and county officials believe that move would cost areas placed in nonattainment billions of dollars finding ways to reduce emissions from cars and factories or face sanctions from the federal government. A final ruling by the Environmental Protection Agency is expected by the end of August.

Jackson Mayor Barbara Lohr said the city has already taken steps to make the air cleaner. Those include converting more city documents to an electronic form, participation in the upcoming Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday and promotion of recycling events.

Lohr said city leaders hope to eventually place signs on gas pumps advising motorists not to add more fuel after the automatic cutoff on the fuel nozzle has turned off the flow of fuel. The Clean Air Action Plan document said not doing so could lead to a direct fuel spill.

"The important thing is we need to stay in attainment," Lohr said. "We are right now in attainment but not by much. So we need to do everything we can to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions so we'll be in attainment so we won't have additional regulations imposed on us.

"It really does help clean air, too," Lohr said. "We want our people to breathe clean air. It's as simple as that."

bblackwell@semissourian.com

388-3628

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Pertinent addresses:

101 Court St., Jackson, MO

709 E. Main St., Jackson, MO

1430 Douglas Drive, Jackson, MO

1030 Odus Drive, Jackson, MO