CITIES BACK COUNTY PLANNING

It makes sense to establish a comprehensive plan for regulating planning and zoning in Cape Girardeau County, say officials in Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

Voters will be asked Nov. 7 to consider establishment of countywide planning to address growth issues in Cape Girardeau County. Voters in both the unincorporated and incorporated areas of the county will decide the matter.

Jackson Mayor Paul Sander said he sees a need for some planning in the county. "It makes good sense to have some limited regulations that protect not only the cities but the landowners who live in the county," he said.

The debate comes over how stringent those protections and regulations need to be, he said.

The Jackson Board of Aldermen has a policy against endorsing ballot issues, Sander said. However, the city can see the need for some regulations, he said.

Both Cape Girardeau and Jackson have expressed support for better planning regulations, which could come through a county planning commission.

The county planning topic is slated for discussion Wednesday among members of the Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission. The meeting is at 7 p.m. at City Hall. Jackson aldermen discussed the issue at a study session Monday night.

Supporters say planning and zoning would protect property owners from unwanted development. Opponents see it as an intrusion into their lives. About 100 people attended a meeting last week to oppose any effort to pass county planning.

The ballot measure asks voters to consider a county planning commission. It requires a simple majority for passage. If the measure passes, then zoning regulations could be implemented later.

County planning makes sense because "it keeps an organization" to zoning, said Charles Haubold, president of the city's planning and zoning commission. Without zoning classifications or planning regulations, nearly any sort of construction could go up next to housing developments. Slaughterhouses could feasibly be built on land next to $100,000 homes, he said.

Without it "you have no regulations about what can go in," Haubold said. And any countywide planning is a lot less stringent than city regulations, he said.

The current proposal includes five zoning categories: agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial, and recreational and conservation. Most of the land would be zoned as agricultural. Existing land uses that don't conform to the zoning categories would be grandfathered into the plan.

County voters approved planning in 1972. It remained in place until 1992 when a vote threw out subdivision and mobile-home regulations that previously had been adopted.

Without those regulations, cities must take in both desirable and undesirable developments when they annex, Haubold said. "You have to take everything in between, but there might not be any order to it," Haubold said.

The Jackson mayor agreed. If the city inherits any land at the perimeter of the city limits, "we would prefer that those buildings are built to codes and regulations," Sander said.

Many subdivision areas outside city limits often request annexation for connection to city utilities, sewer and water service. Sometimes those friendly annexations can be costly for the city that has to upgrade utilities to make an annexed area meet existing codes.

Countywide planning would make sure that "annexations come in as close to standard" when considered by a city, said Kent Bratton, city planner for Cape Girardeau.

Cities have to consider whether friendly annexation helps with "good, orderly growth," Sander said.

Originally, countywide planning and zoning was slated for a vote in April, but the county commission asked that it be withdrawn from the ballot to give voters more time to learn about it.

A temporary planning commission has been meeting for three years to work on a proposed zoning plan and master plan for the county. Public meetings are slated to begin next week for residents interested in learning more about proposed countywide planning.

Upcoming meetings

Informational meetings on countywide planning. All are at 7 p.m.

* Sept. 19 at Millersville School.

* Sept. 21 at the Cape Girardeau County Administration building meeting room in Jackson.

* Sept. 26 at Cape Girardeau. Location to be announced.

• Sept. 28 at Delta High School cafeteria in Delta.

* Oct. 3 at Oak Ridge High School gymnasium.