Residents Oppose Closing Spring, Cunningham Avenues

At Tuesday night’s city council meeting, several residents who live off of Spring and Cunningham avenues spoke out in opposition to the possible closure of their streets as part of the extension of West Clay Road to Fairgrounds Road.

Residents told council members that maps they've seen of the plans for the road extension show Spring and Cunningham avenues being closed.

They said the closures would make it difficult for residents to get around their neighborhood. Currently, drivers can turn from Wilmes Avenue onto Spring and Cunningham avenues.

However, it's still unclear whether those roads will remain open when Fairgrounds Road is extended through the neighborhoods and connected to West Clay Road.

The Fairgrounds Road extension will be the southeastern boundary for  a 31.5 acre mixed-use development at First Capitol and Boone Roads that will be anchored by a grocery store, hotel and Lindenwood University student housing.

Several residents expressed concerns that the road closures would affect emergency response times. Resident Marc Haynes said it is already difficult for emergency vehicles to get in and out of Spring Avenue.

“I work in the medical profession. I’ve got years and years of trauma and critical care service. Minutes count, they really do,” Haynes said.  “The hill going up Spring, right now, that is passable, but in the winter time it’s horrible and you can't get up it. The way that it looked to me, the hill looks like it’s going to be even worse now.”

Haynes said the city should consider buying out residents near the streets because property values in the area would inevitably go down.

Cunningham Avenue resident Ilda Baxter said, if the roads are closed, no one will want to live at Cunninham and Spring avenues.

“The property won’t be worth nothing,” Baxter said. “Who wants a house that you can’t get to?”

Some residents criticized the city for supporting Lindenwood University's growth plans and for not providing residents with more information about the closures.

Councilman Bob Kneemiller, Ward 4, said no further information has been given to residents because plans have not been finalized for the road.

The city council was scheduled to consider a resolution to select The DESCO Group as developer for the West Clay road extension project on Tuesday, but council member Lori Feldman, Ward 3, requested the council hold off on making a decision for now.

Kneemiller said, once a developer has been selected, residents have more opportunities to express their opinions on the issue.

“There will be many public meeting and the public will have an opportunity to attend,” Kneemiller said.

Councilman Tom Besselmann, Ward 2, brought up the possible road closures at a city council meeting in August which many residents also attended.

Councilmen Michael Weller, Ward 5, and Dave Beckering, Ward 7, were absent at Tuesday’s meeting.