ZONING: COUNTY TO UNVEIL PLANS IN 2 WEEKS

JACKSON - A preliminary draft of a zoning plan for Cape Girardeau County should be ready for the County Planning Commission to review within two weeks, Associate Commissioner Leonard F. Sander said Monday.

The Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission is assisting Cape County in drafting ordinances for zoning and preparing maps that can be used when the commission implements countywide zoning.

The regional planning commission has been working on the project for about 18 months with a subcommittee of the planning commission.

Three members of the County Planning Commission serving on the subcommittee are Earl Siemers, Clyde Quade and Marvin Ludwig. Three others also serve on the group: Ken Eftink, Glenda Quinn and Alfred Limbaugh.

Sander, who represents the Cape County Commission on the planning body, said there is still a lot of work remaining before the county commission can vote on a final zoning plan.

"I'm very much in hopes we can have zoning on the books before the end of this year," said Sander. "But there is still a lot of work that needs to be done before this can be accomplished."

Sander said all of the maps have been completed for zoning and the ordinances that are being drafted should be ready for the County Planning Commission to review at its July 15 meeting.

Sander said that at that time the County Planning Commission will need to review the preliminary draft of rules and regulations carefully so that the regional planning commission can help get it in a final form.

Before the County Commission can approve the zoning plan and put it into effect, Sander said a public hearing will have to be held in each of the county's 10 townships. The hearings are required by state law.

"Getting into the public hearings in each township will be very time consuming," said Sander.

All three members of the County Commission have indicated they hope to get zoning approved this year, but to do so will mean hearings must be held in early fall.

Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep said that once the hearings have been held, the County Commission and Planning Commission will need to review input that has been gathered before a final draft can be considered for approval.

At the present time, Cape County is operating under a master plan and has approved ordinances for subdivisions and mobile-home parks, and setback ordinances that dictate how far buildings must be from roadways when they are constructed.

Cape County also requires building permits to be purchased before construction begins.