ZONING: VOTE URGED FOR ORDERLY DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTY

Approval of planning and zoning on Nov. 3 is essential to the orderly development of Cape Girardeau County, two county commissioners and the county planning director said Wednesday.

"We want to continue to keep Cape County a fine place to live and this is one of the tools to keep it that way," said Planning Director Charles Engelhart in an appearance before the Cape Girardeau Noon Optimist Club.

He said development is booming in the unincorporated areas of the county, where between 16,000 and 17,000 people live. So far this year, Engelhart said his office had issued 90 building permits for new homes in the outcounty.

Engelhart has been speaking to groups recently emphasizing a need for voters to support planning and zoning on the ballot this fall. The Cape Girardeau County Commission has a plan it wants to implement; however, a petition drive last summer sent the measure to voters for approval.

Cape County began moving toward zoning in 1972, when voters approved the development of a master plan.

"If we vote for planning and zoning, this zoning ordinance will take effect," said Engelhart. "If people vote against it, everything we've done the last 20 years will be wiped out. This is a pretty serious matter to consider.

He pointed out that regulations already in force such as subdivision and setback regulations, mobile home park rules, and other planning permits could be wiped out.

Associate Commissioners E.C. Younghouse and Leonard Sander joined Engelhart is urging support for zoning. They agreed that while the zoning would only affect unincorporated areas and would not directly impact people in Cape Girardeau and Jackson, it would have an indirect effect because of the need for orderly growth in the future.

"I don't think any of these ordinances that we are proposing are as strict as what the zoning ordinances are for Cape Girardeau and Jackson," said Sander. "The county ordinances are more lenient."

Engelhart said, "It does not affect any incorporated area directly, but will indirectly affect everyone."

He explained that the zoning plan was developed by the 10-member county planning commission in cooperation with staff of the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission. In addition, a subcommittee of citizens and planning commission members met 15 times for periods of two to four hours to finalize details of the plan.

Engelhart explained that the 80-page document outlines seven different zoning districts, which determines what areas could be used for.

He stressed the importance of making sure that development is consistent with what the area is being used for. As an example, Engelhart cited a home now for sale in the county with a value of about $75,000. He said the home is well kept and is a modest ranch-style home but will likely sell for no more than $60,000 because there is a junk yard across from it.

The zoning plan also limits mobile home parks and defines two or more mobile homes as a park.

Billboard ordinances would also be included in the plan. Any sign over 150 square feet is considered a billboard and they must be 1,000 feet apart and only in commercial areas. Smaller signs must be 100 feet apart.

Engelhart said if zoning takes effect, all existing features would be "grandfathered" in; however, major expansions or improvements would have to comply.

Another concern is to make sure that a system is in place to keep commercial development from occurring in the middle of residential areas, where people have made a substantial investment in their homes, he said.

Engelhart said that if someone wants to do something that does not meet criteria for the classification of that property, conditional use permits can be applied for. That process provides for input from nearby residents.

Future problems that zoning would help prevent include sewage disposal systems that might pollute streams and water supplies, and protection from landfills and junk yards that might drop property values.

There would be a fee for permits; however, Engelhart said fees would only be enough to recover administrative costs, not to recover all costs associated with having a zoning department.

Engelhart and the two commissioners said they realize zoning is controversial, but it is necessary to protect the rights of property owners and to insure proper development of Cape County.