LANDOWNERS DISCUSS PROBLEMS WITH LAKE LEGISLATION

JACKSON -- Building trust among landowners and the government is the key to changing legislation and creating a proposed lake in Bollinger and Cape Girardeau counties, lake supporters say.

A group of 10 landowners met Monday night in Jackson to discuss problems with current legislation and issues that must be changed before a lake effort can proceed.

The proposed lake would cover 7,680 acres near Millersville and affect about 200 landowners in both Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties.

Without a consensus of the landowners there won't be a lake, said Stan Crader, a Marble Hill business owner who supports the project.

"It's not just a simple majority of the owners," he said. "We want to address all the concerns and problems to come to an agreement that all people like."

But landowners have to voice their concerns before any agreements can be made, he said.

When the lake was first proposed six years ago, many landowners objected to the wording of state legislation that created it. Supporters of the lake are hoping to change the legislation but need to know what questions people still have.

A group of landowners will meet again July 2 to talk about the project. Anyone with questions about the lake may attend.

"The goal is to get more people to the meetings," said Betty Kinder, a Bollinger County landowner. "We want to get the lake on the ballot."

The 7,680-acre lake was first proposed to voters in 1989, but never reached the ballot in Bollinger County. Before construction could begin, voters in both Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties must approve a 1-cent sales tax that would fund the project.

Originally, the lake would have cost about $73 million. Proponents said it would bring in almost $32 million in revenue. Now it could cost as much as $100 million.

But most people who opposed the lake aren't thinking about the economic benefits to the area. They are more concerned about losing family farms to the government through eminent domain. They also worry how zoning would affect their private property.

If legislative changes can be made before November, the issue could reach voters in 1997. The goal of a landowner steering committee is to draft the changes so all landowners agree on the changes, Crader said, adding that there is little that can appease someone who is losing a family property.

Most landowners are opposed to the zoning only because they know little about it, said Joe Vernier, who agreed to serve on the committee.

But one landowner opposed to the lake said the problem is really about a lack of trust in politicians.