OpinionJanuary 27, 2017

Residents of the Red Star neighborhood have spent the past several years working to improve the unique attributes of our neighborhood. These dedicated citizens have been working with their neighbors and city officials to clean up individually owned properties and to contact latent landlords. The work of these citizens and others across the city of Cape Girardeau could be damaged by the introduction of chickens to our city neighborhoods...

Residents of the Red Star neighborhood have spent the past several years working to improve the unique attributes of our neighborhood. These dedicated citizens have been working with their neighbors and city officials to clean up individually owned properties and to contact latent landlords. The work of these citizens and others across the city of Cape Girardeau could be damaged by the introduction of chickens to our city neighborhoods.

Allowing chickens in our neighborhoods would not only add additional nuisance abatement calls to the City of Cape Girardeau, it would provide an unsightly addition to areas already struggling with low property values and homeownership rates. Neighbors in many parts of our city already struggle with property abandonment and poor upkeep. It is the belief of the members of our organization that the addition of backyard livestock will not help our neighborhoods thrive, encourage the cleanup of abused properties or attract new property owners.

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There are many unique aspects and residents within the City of Cape Girardeau. However, allowing residents to bring chickens to our neighborhoods is a questionable addition to a city touting vast improvements and revitalization of our historic downtown.

Dan Presson, Cape Girardeau

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