Downtown residents can look forward to a little bit of peace and quiet.

The sound of train whistles has kept hotel guests awake, disrupted business meetings and scared pets ever since the railroad came to Downtown. Two years ago, city staff began a process that would let the trains pass through St. Joseph’s core without blowing their whistles.

City Council postponed the ordinance once and threatened to again Monday night before it changed course and unanimously approved the plan. The city, BNSF Railway Co. and the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission will close three railroad crossings and modify two others to establish a railroad quiet zone Downtown.

The city will not pay a single dollar for the project. The Missouri Department of Transportation would pay part of the costs, while credits from BNSF Railway for closing three crossings would cover the city’s portion of the bill.

Concerns from one of St. Joseph’s oldest businesses stimulated debate from the council.

Rick Gilmore, owner of Seaman & Schuske Metal Works, said he worried that the closure of a railroad crossing on Mitchell Avenue could threaten his business, which opened in 1870 and has operated at the corner of Fourth Street and Mitchell since 1939.

“We believe the closing of Mitchell will have a direct impact on the ability for Seaman & Schuske to remain competitive,” he said.

Mr. Gilmore said he favored the idea of a quiet zone, but not the $1 million-plus he estimated his company would lose over the next 15 years. He argued that a neighboring business frequently blocked his access to Fourth Street, which would leave him with no way in or out if the railroad crossing was closed, blocking him from Sixth Street.

Council members considered putting off the vote for two weeks so city staff could work to find a solution to Mr. Gilmore’s problem.

“It’s very rare that we have a 139-year-old business,” Mayor Ken Shearin said. “We’ve destroyed enough of our history in this town.”

Clint Thompson, city director of planning and community development, pitched an alternate plan during a Planning and Zoning Committee meeting in November. Instead of closing the Mitchell Avenue crossing, workers would upgrade the crossing signal and install medians on each side to prevent traffic from driving around the crossing gates. The alternate would cost $200,898.

Councilman Roger Baker urged the council not to put off the vote for another two weeks.

“We postponed it at the last meeting and now you want to postpone it again,” Mr. Baker said. “These things always get down to the very end and then we don’t get it done.”

The council passed the vote under the assumption that city staff will work with Mr. Gilmore to find ways to lessen the impact on his business.

Clinton Thomas can be reached at clintonthomas@npgco.com.