NEW SUBDIVISIONS: ARMERICANS SPREADING OUT FOR MORE WIDE OPEN SPACES

Americans are spreading out, living in larger homes, and on larger lots.

During the mid-20th century, the average homestead took up about a quarter acre. That increased to a half-acre in the 1990s, and if trends continue, every home soon will take up more than a full acre this century.

In fact, many developers are already offering acre-plus home sites in subdivisions that are sprouting up farther and farther from work, shopping and schools.

More than 20 dozen subdivisions have been approved over the past year-and-a-half in Cape Girardeau. Jackson has authorized more than a half-dozen new subdivisions, and other housing developments have been established in Fruitland and other Cape Girardeau County areas.

Amenities include paved streets, underground power and telephone lines, swimming pools, club houses and some secluded areas with serene settings.

One of the newest is Cedarhill Lake Estates, located across Highway 177 from Hobbs Chapel Church, just north of Cape Girardeau. It offers three- to six-acre lots, including lakeside locations. Developer Mike Mathes said 14 of the 25 lots have been sold.

The new development, which has two homes completed and a third near completion, includes a lake and three ponds. The third home on the property is an older house that was stripped down and is being completely remodeled into a showcase home.

Mathes, whose father was a developer, is a former auto sales owner but has several years experience in developing property.

"I've been around the business a long time," said Mathes, who also developed a nine-lot subdivision, Mathes Woods Estates, north of the Cedarhill development.

"We have one lot left in that development," said Mathes, who recently purchased property for a subdivision near Perryville.

Warren Place, a new residential subdivision near Jackson, is also open for lot sales now. Tom Kelsey, broker for Lorimont Place, Ltd., which is overseeing the new 132-acre development located west of Kimbeland Golf Course, said the first phase of the new subdivision will feature 90 building lots, ranging in size from half and acre to 1.3 acres.

The focal point of the Warren Place development is a nine-acre lake, with 24 lots having lakeside access. The developers have provided locations for medium to upper price ranges.

The property was formerly known as the Barks Farm. Construction of the first custom home will start soon, Kelsey said.

Golf course complexes have become favorites for residential communities, including homes and condominiums.

A gated golf community, with an 18-hole golf course, condos, a golf club and other recreational facilities, will be coming to Cape Girardeau soon. The Presswick Group will develop the project here. It which will include 770 acres of rolling hills and woods and a golf course along Bloomfield Road, and another 550 acres to be known as North County Plantation along County Road 603.

In Jackson, subdivision activity continues on with the Bent Creek Golf Course, which includes condos and homes.

Forest Meadows Subdivision near Fruitland is taking on a new look. The subdivision originated a number of years ago, and has a number of homes. Ashland Realty is expanding the subdivision and has about 20 new sites available. The development has sewers, natural gas, water and paved streets.

Overall, housing construction is up in Cape Girardeau County, keeping pace with both state and national averages.

The city's Division of Inspection Services reported that, through May, construction of single-family homes is up slightly over 1999. The increase came despite one of the slowest January construction starts in five years. Housing construction in Cape Girardeau has rebounded with more than 15 new starts the past two months to shove the year's total past last year's 30 for the first five months.

Missouri residential construction is up about 8 percent from 1999, and national averages are up about 4 percent.

With the growing number of subdivisions in the Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Fruitland areas home building is expected to continue to increase.

Subdivisions have been cropping up in Cape Girardeau since the early years of the city's history. Hundreds of subdivisions more than 600, with lots ranging from two or three to 100 or more have been approved for the city since the end of the Civil War.

The Cape Girardeau Inspection Services Division traced the subdivision history in Cape Girardeau back to Ingram's Addition in 1859. Ingram's Addition was approved for a district which consisted of Mill Street, Pearl, Mason and Olive streets. Also included in the addition were Frederick, Fountain and Lorimier streets.

Within a decade, three more subdivision areas were approved Allen's Subdivision in 1867, Filbrun's Addition in 1868 and Gonner Survey in 1869.

The Filbrun's Addition included new homes on Washington, Fountain, North, Sprigg and Middle streets. The Gonner tract included an area from Good Hope to Independence and Pacific to Main streets.

Following the turn of the century, such names as Normal Avenue Place, Hirsch's Addition, Haupt's Subdivision and Haman's Edition started cropping up. People were moving into areas along Normal Avenue, Pacific, Benton, Henderson and West End Boulevard. To the south, Smelterville Subdivision, added in 1905, included areas along South Sprigg, LaCruz, Pine, Beech and Poplar streets.

By mid-century, more residential areas were cropping up with the Sunset Addition in 1949 along Sunset Boulevard Louis, William and Albert streets. The growth didn't stop in the early 1950s, with additions like Brinks (Montgomery, College and Minnesota streets), Brucher Heights (Brucher, Henderson, Bertling streets), Golliday Edition (Terry Lane and Laura) and Pleasant Acres (Hopper Road).

The 1990s brought numerous subdivisions and the sprawl will likely continue into the new millennium.

Recent Cape Girardeau County subdivisions

A number of subdivisions have been approved during the past year and a half in Cape Girardeau.

Following is a list of the newer subdivisions, for 1999 and 2000, provided by the city's Division of Inspection Services, including the name of the subdivision, location and owner/developer.

• Land Spec Subdivision, Perky Street, William Kappa, Jan Seabaugh.
• LaCroix Business Park, Phase 2, Wintergreen/Prairie Lane, C. J. Morrill, Bill Stanfield.
• Thomas Drive Subdivision, #2, Narvol Randol Jr., Amy Randol.
• Strack 1 Subdivision, Perryville Road, Wayne and Bonnie Strack.
• Vernon Rhodes Subdivision, Kingshighway/Pear Tree, Vernon Rhodes.
• Aquamsi Bluff, Spanish/Good Hope, Charles Hutson.
• Bailey's First Subdivision, Weissinger Lane, Agnes Bailey.
• Cape West, 8th Subdivision, Kell Farm/Richmond Dr., Robert Drury.
• Cape West, 9th Subdivision, Kell Farm, Robert Drury.
• Chalet Trace 2nd Subdivision, Hopper Road, George and Joann Webber.
• Cedar Ridge, 2nd Subdivision, Kingsway, George and Pat Bockhorst.
• Double S Subdivision, Lexington/Melody Lane, Sprigg.
• Gammon Subdivision, Good Hope, Ronald and Lavonne Gammon.
• Golden Eagle Subdivision, Golden Eagle Court, Howard Kinder Sr.
• Joe Kluesner Subdivision, New Madrid, Joseph and Elizabeth Kluesner.
• Keller Subdivision, Armstrong Dr./Kell Farm, Robert Drury.
• King's Corner Subdivision, Kingsbury, Kingsway, Gary W. and Cheryl Otte.
• Melrose Place III, Lexington/Randol/Camelback Rd., Rendrag Dev., Bob Gardener.
• Melrose Place IV, Lexington/Camelback Road/ Cheetah Lane, Rendrag Dev., Bob Gardener.
• Northfield, 19th Subdivision, Chesapeake/Concord, Northfield Properties, Stephen E. Strom.
• Pindwood Place, 2nd Subdivision, Hemlock, Larry Haertling, trustee.
• Randol Farms, 8th subdivision, Abbey/Kenneth/Palomino, Randol Farms Development, Inc., David Gerlach and Mitch Kinder, members.
• River Forest Subdivision, Bloomfield Road, annexed into city climits.