Jackson board discusses containers, park restroom

Two long-running projects in Jackson were on the agenda for discussion at Monday�s board of aldermen meeting, with an update on the city park restroom project and the proposed regulations on shipping-container use within city limits.

The question of whether to allow steel shipping containers as dwelling- or commercial building materials was first discussed by Jackson�s Planning and Zoning Commission in September, and the first public hearing on the issue was held in October.

The commission continued discussing the issue, said building superintendent Janet Sanders, and in January, made recommendations to the board of aldermen to allow shipping containers as temporary storage within certain guidelines, but not as building materials.

A public hearing Monday had only one speaker, developer Quinn Strong, who brought forth the original request for the ordinance change to allow shipping containers as construction materials.

Strong spoke in favor of allowing shipping containers as building materials, pointing to special-use permits in Cape Girardeau for certain commercial uses, including the forthcoming Sugarfire Barbecue�s application to use a shipping container as dining space.

�It goes to show the versatility of the shipping container itself,� Strong said, adding he wants to emphasize the idea of shipping containers as building materials is not completely evolved yet.

Strong has a project in development at Washington and Middle streets in Cape Girardeau, and said he will use it as rental property for students at nearby Southeast Missouri State University.

Mayor Dwain Hahs said the board doesn�t want to make a quick decision, and will continue the discussion at the next regular meeting, to be held March 19.

Parks and recreation director Shane Anderson gave an update on the city park restroom project, after a meeting of the project committee.

The restroom, to be installed between Hubble Creek and the girls� softball field in Jackson City Park, will be a 20-by-26-foot concrete structure, Anderson said, with designs stamped into the pitched roof and exterior walls.

The designs, created by concrete forms, will give the appearance of a rock wall face on the lower half of the walls, a shingle-style roof texture and a board-and-batten siding texture on the exterior wall space between roof and rock wall.

�I think it�s a good-looking restroom,� Anderson said, adding there will be an upgrade charge of just more than $6,000 for the rock wall addition.

Alderman Larry Cunningham said the total is closer to $306,000 for the project now.

City engineer Clint Brown said the project includes an ADA-compatible path from the swimming-pool parking lot to the restroom, as well as a parking lot with more than 10 spaces, lift station with chain-link fence, force main and access road.

Anderson added this restroom will be well-used, as it�s next to the existing trail frequented by walkers, bike riders and joggers.

Brown said the firm will order the building this week, and in the 12 weeks between the order and delivery, the firm doing the work, Brockmiller Construction Inc., will be doing site work.

�They can do a lot in 12 weeks,� Brown said.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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