Weather willing, streets will be repaved

BONNE TERRE — All nine streets in the Hillcrest Subdivision will be repaved this year.

During the Bonne Terre City Council meeting Monday night, the council approved a contract with Jokerst Paving and Contracting of Festus for surface leveling and asphalt overlay at a cost of about $159,000. The price could increase depending on the oil market when the project starts.

Streets include Spring, Aldergate, Loraine, Easton, Manor, Columbia, Yale, Wesley and Hillcrest. City Manager Larry Barton said if the weather is good, work could start at any time.

Before the regular meeting, the council had a public hearing to discuss two requests for rezoning of properties from R1 Single Family Residential to R3 Multi-Family.

The council approved Randy Hubbard’s request for a rezoning of 101 Dover Street for a duplex, but decided to put off voting on a rezone of Jeff Rector’s last three plots in the Summit Grove Subdivision. The other 20 are already R3. The Rectors have already built 12 apartments on Water Street and are in the process of building four more.

During the public hearing, Mitch and Tena Lotz, who have a house at the corner of Water and Grove spoke against having apartments right next to their property. They have been trying to sell the property off and on since 2005. Lotz said it is a St. Joe Lead Company house that was built in 1890. He worried that having apartments so close would reduce his property value, especially if the apartments are not maintained properly.

Ed Plunkett, a former council member who lives at Oak and Grove, also spoke against building apartments so close to the Lotz’s property.

The Planning and Zoning Commission had denied the request.

The last three plots make up about six-tenths of an acre. At first Rector said if they were denied a rezone, his only other option in this economy was to build two small HUD houses.

Both Plunkett and Mitch Lotz pointed out the original plan for the development presented to a prior city council was to build homes.

Rector said he has a huge investment there and he’s got to do something with it. In the tough economy, he said he can’t build high-end homes.

They wanted to start building on the other end of Water Street because there is already water/sewer and street access there. There are some drainage issues that keep them from building on some of their property.

The Rectors said they plan to pave Water Street in front of the developed area in the spring. They said the apartments are nice and are not HUD. Chief Doug Calvert added that his department had not been called there since it opened in October.

The council decided to table a vote on the rezone request to give the council, the Rectors and the neighbors time to consider the options. Council members also wanted to speak with the city attorney about whether it was possible for Rector to build a parking lot for the apartment building in an R1 zone.

Also during the council meeting, the council approved a contract with All Star Septic for sludge removal and discussed reorganizing the Board of Adjustment. Mayor Fritz Gower told the council he would like to cancel their MoPERM insurance and go with Missouri Rural. He said he is not happy with MoPERM rates or service.

During public comments, Kevin Andres asked the city to look into its snow removal procedures.

Teresa Ressel is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-431-2010, ext. 179 or at tressel@dailyjournalonline.com.