CITY WILL CONSIDER TWIN LAKES ANNEXATION AUG. 3

Cape Girardeau voters next month will have the opportunity to expand the city limits west of Interstate 55 and lay the groundwork for future city growth and development.

Included on the Aug. 3 ballot is a measure to annex Twin Lakes subdivision, west of I-55 and north of Hopper Road.

The other ballot measure is the boundaries for city wards. Voters earlier this year approved a measure to switch from at-large to ward representation on the city council, and the Aug. 3 issue will enable implementation of the proposal.

Assistant City Manager Al Stoverink said the annexation measure is important to the long-term growth and development of Cape Girardeau.

"A city is either going to go forward or backward," Stoverink said. "Without growth, potentially the tax base in Cape Girardeau will go down, and if you can't expand your boundaries, you're going to have to increase your tax rates."

Twin Lakes residents last fall petitioned the city for annexation. Of the 99 properties in the subdivision, owners of 75 signed the petition, representing 112 of the 155 acres in the tract.

"They have needs for an improved water system and for a sewer system," Stoverink explained. "The subdivision is fully developed and needs these services.

"From the city's standpoint, it's a key area for future growth to the west. We've already annexed commercial areas west of the interstate, but this is the first residential area."

Stoverink said Twin Lakes would serve as an "anchor" for future residential annexation south of the subdivision.

During the past several years, the city has pursued long-range planning for major streets, sewer and water projects. The current 20-year major street and sewer master plans show development into the Twin Lakes area.

"We already have sewers west of I-55 from around Bloomfield Road to Route K," Stoverink said.

He said the city will pay to extend the trunk sewer to Twin Lakes. Property owners will be tax-billed the cost of lateral sewers within the subdivision.

"We're approaching the water system in the same manner," Stoverink said. "The plan calls for a water storage tank in the area of I-55 and Hopper Road.

"We will construct the main water extension from proceeds of the vote to purchase the water system last year, and development in the subdivision will be tax billed."

Stoverink said the cost to property owners of the improvements will average $6,000-$7,000 per acre. The tax bills are financed over 10 years.

Despite the cost, the assistant city manager said he doesn't think the issue will be controversial.

"Some property owners are against this because of the cost," he said, "and others have moved out there because they didn't want to live in the city.

"But I think with the overwhelming support for this on their petition, I don't anticipate it will be controversial."

If the Twin Lakes annexation is successful, there are several other developed subdivisions in the county the city also will eye in terms of long-range expansion plans.

"We don't have a lot of vacant areas available for residential development in the city," Stoverink said. "That's why you have seen a lot of residential development recently going to Jackson and unincorporated areas of the county."

The last major annexation in Cape Girardeau was in 1968, when the city took in a large area from North Kingshighway west to I-55.

One reason why the city hasn't ambitiously pursued further annexation is because state laws now make it more difficult. Cities must be able to provide services to annexed areas within three years.

"We have to look at more finite areas and look at the costs associated with that annexation," Stoverink said.

Also, state law now requires that residents of the area to be annexed be given the opportunity to vote on the proposal. If a simple majority of voters in the city and the area to be annexed approve, the measure passes.

However, if the issue fails in either area, there must be a second election in which the votes are combined and a two-thirds majority is required for passage.

Voluntary annexation is a process that doesn't require a vote if all the property owners favor the proposal and the area to be annexed is contiguous with the city's boundary.

Twin Lakes is neither contiguous the city also will attempt to annex properties between I-55 and the subdivision nor does the annexation proposal have unanimous support among residents there.

Stoverink said that if the measure passes, there's likely to be some after-the-fact opposition.

"The majority want it, but when it comes down to running sewers in there and they see their tax bill, there's going to be some heartache," he said.