JACKSON BOARD REZONES CONTROVERSIAL PROPERTY

JACKSON -- After months of debate over special-use permits and zoning changes, the Jackson Board of Aldermen voted Monday night to rezone Kenneth Waldron's North High Street property from commercial to residential.

The matter required a two-thirds vote, and Waldron, who was opposed to the rezoning because he wanted to use the land for warehouses or other types of storage, lost out 6-to-2. Aldermen Fred Leimer and Dave Reiminger voted no.

Waldron's property is in Leimer's ward.

"I have a problem with rezoning someone else's problem against his will," Leimer said. "I don't think it's the proper thing to do."

Neighbors from nearby streets packed the board chamber waiting for the vote. Several had attended prior meetings to ask the board to turn down Waldron's request for a special-use permit when he wanted to establish a warehouse there earlier this year.

Homeowners near the property feared Waldron would turn the warehouses into a distribution center, disturbing their tranquility.

Beverly Wiedefield lives on North Missouri Street, across from the controversial lots. She was concerned that having commercial property so near a park would cause problems for the city, too.

"It's in an older, well-kept neighborhood," Wiedefield said. "There's an office there now, but an office and a distribution center are two different things."

In other action, the board gave Mayor Paul Sander permission to officially request an ambulance from Cape County Private Ambulance Service to be housed in Jackson. With its population around 10,000 and 911 service established, Jackson is ready for its own ambulance, aldermen agreed.

The city currently is served out of a shed on North Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

"This needs to happen if we can financially justify it," Sander said. "We have had some instances where it took a long period of time to get here, but that was no fault of the ambulance service's.

"Citizens feel their loved ones could have been saved if there had been an ambulance in Jackson."

Jackson Board of Aldermen

Monday, June 5

7:30 p.m.

Power and Light Committee

Authorize purchase of a new 500 KVA 3 Phase Transformer from Delta-Y Electric of Sedgewickville in the amount of $6,190.

Authorize the advertisement for bids on renovation of the new Jackson City Hall.

Approve increase in salary for city administrator.

Street Committee

Establish schedule for re-inspection fees.

Approve the rezoning of all of lots 5-10 of Linus Sanford's First Addition from C-2 to R-3.

Approve resolution for the improvement of Oak Hill Road.

Confirm official city of Jackson street improvement policy originally passed as ordinance 3390 on March 6, 1995.

Approve contractual agreement with Allied Waste Inc.

Amend Chapter 6, Division 3 of the Code of Ordinances relative to building permits.

Authorize mayor to execute letter to Cape County Private Ambulance Service regarding request for an ambulance to be permanently located in Jackson.

Approve payment of $12,672.75 to Appleton Valley Farms Inc. as per contractual agreement on East Main Street project.