VISION 2000 SPURRED PROGRESS

Anyone who has traveled through Cape Girardeau in recent years can tell that the city has tried to build better streets, develop older, historic areas of town and plan for comprehensive growth.

Vision 2000 contributed the voice residents needed to get their planning concerns heard. The progress the city made is related to the work of Vision 2000, said Charlie Haubold, chairman of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission.

Vision 2000 is a strategic planning group appointed by the City Council in 1988 to help the city address future growth and development. The group's work has come to an end after accomplishing 19 of its 25 objectives.

A reunion of former committee members, parade and banquet are planned Saturday, when Vision 2000 will give its final report. Vision 2020 is ready to take over the strategic planning for the next 20 years.

Vision 2000 didn't directly affect the work of the city's planning commission by helping make decisions but by making suggestions. The planning commission already was working to develop long-range plans for annexation, infrastructure and flood control projects, commission members say.

"But they sped the progress up," said Haubold. "Instead of taking 10 years it took two." In some areas the committee initiated the projects, he added.

Vision 2000 helped the city with its proposal to develop a Transportation Trust Fund program that included passage of a half-cent sales tax to fund road improvement projects. That program began in 1995 and was continued for another five years after an August vote.

Voters had rejected previous transportation sales tax issues. Melvin Gateley, a key Vision 2000 organizer, said he was "very certain" the city's master plan and Transportation Trust Fund are a direct result of the committee's work.

"There are a lot of things we've done in the community and a lot that are still being done," he said.

Vision 2000 also worked to get the city council to adopt a historic preservation ordinance and pushed for a recreation trail in the community, said Loretta Schneider. The Cape La Croix Trail remains a popular walking and recreational trail, with eventual plans for expansion to link all the city's parks.

Historic redevelopment, tourism and historic preservation were all concerns under Vision 2000's plan. But so were residents' questions about developing a mass transit system or focusing more on public land uses.

More of the historic development and tourism questions were answered than those about mass transit systems. The city operates a taxi coupon program with grant assistance from the state, which serves as the city's primary means of public transit.

Changing attitudes helped make people more aware of downtown as a historic district, said Barbara Port, a member of the Historic Preservation Commission. That awareness then led to redevelopment, which is beginning to take off under an Old Town Cape program based on the Main Street USA model.

Downtown is a friendly community of local business owners and residents that helped impact its development, said Evelyn Boardman, a downtown resident. "The redevelopment impact has made it a desirable place to live and work," she said.

There are less empty buildings and lots in the downtown shopping district today than there were 12 years ago, Port said. "It's a collective benefit for the area."

Vision 2000 also strengthened enforcement of the city's building codes but still is getting some of those new ordinances implemented, Gateley said.

"We've made some good strides but there is still a lot to do," he said.

Coming Friday: What's ahead for Vision 2020, the next phase in Cape Girardeau's strategic planning?

VISION 2000 GOALS

Making residents aware of long-range plans for city development and addressing future needs for annexation and land use to insure a well-planned and attractive environment.

Objective 1: Obtain annual citizen input for the city's comprehensive plan.

Public hearings are held each year before city council prior to adopting a capital improvements program for the city.

Objective 2: Regularly inform the public of current development issues before the city government.

Public Information Office for the city has been around since 1994 and publishes a monthly newsletter for city employees and a quarterly newsletter for residents.

Improving planning and zoning in the city.

Objective 1: Revise and upgrade zoning and subdivision ordinance and review annually.

No significant changes have been made in the zoning policies of the city since 1998; several sections of the ordinance were revised in 1996.

Objective 2: Upgrade the mission and function of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

In 1996, the city expanded the commission's membership from nine to 11. Commissioners serve only two consecutive terms.

Objective 3: Broaden the occupancy permit system and strengthen enforcement.

Occupancy certification has increased but more work is needed for enforcement.

Objective 4: Review building codes to assure they are up-to-date and uniformly enforced.

The city approved BOCA codes in 1996 and a minimum property maintenance ordinance in 1994.

Creating comprehensive plans for storm water and flooding.

Objective 1: Complete a city-wide storm water management plan.

This plan was completed; the final stage of the flood control work, a retention basin, is under construction.

Making Cape Girardeau a city with smooth traffic flow, adequate parking and well-maintained streets.

Objective 1: Accelerate implementation of the Major Street Plan.

Many of the major projects in the Transportation Trust Fund program have been completed or are under construction now. A continuation of the program was approved by voters in August.

Objective 2: Provide adequate city-wide parking and priority parking for the disabled.

This goal was not met entirely. Handicapped spaces are not marked on all streets.

Developing a historic district to include the riverfront and surrounding area.

Objective 1: Enhance and increase promotional efforts annually to maximize tourist participation in area activities.

The historic downtown area has become part of a Main Street Program, which will help with redevelopment and tourism. The city adopted a historic preservation ordinance and continues to work on a conservation zoning ordinance.

Objective 2: Coordinate and consolidate the government and private sector efforts for redevelopment plan implementation.

The city and university continue to work on a redevelopment project for the River Campus, a former Catholic seminary near the Mississippi River bridge.

Objective 3: Enhance and increase promotional efforts annually to maximize tourist participation in area activities.

The city's Convention and Visitors Bureau continues to promote tourism activities through riverboat stops, tour groups and convention meetings.