ANNEXATION PLAN OFFERS THOUGHT-OUT EXPANSION OF CITY

Since the early part of the 19th century, Cape Girardeau has seen steady growth in land area and population. Annexation has long been a catalyst for that growth. As the city approaches the 21st century, annexation remains one of the best ways to foster orderly expansion.

In recent years, the city has added residents through friendly annexation -- about 200 from Lamplighter Mobile Home Park in 1992 and another 200 from Twin Lakes in 1993. Two other annexations in 1994 added a handful more residents.

That growth has prompted the city's Planning and Zoning Commission to look at other potential growth areas and compile a five-year annexation plan that identifies eight specific areas outside the city limits. But, like any city plan, the document is useless unless it is practical, and no one knows for certain how much it would cost to provide city services to any of the eight tracts.

It is time to find out.

The city has ample engineering, planning services and water department personnel. Why not put their heads together to come up with some sound cost estimates? There ought to be some revenue available from riverboat gambling to pay for such a study, at the very least, and, if the revenue is sufficient, to finance the one-time capital improvements needed to service newly annexed areas.

After taking over the water system more than two years ago, the city is in an ideal position to provide water where it is needed for outlying development. City officials also wisely built sewer trunk lines across Interstate 55 to abet growth to the west and southwest.

Still, several factors come into play before annexation can be realized. For voluntary annexation, it is a pretty simple procedure: The city council passes a law expressing its interest in annexing a particular area. If all of the area's residents approve, the annexation proceeds.

But getting 100 percent agreement on any issue can be difficult. Securing complete agreement on annexation, unless it is a very small tract, is almost impossible.

If there is dissent among property owners, the city must follow procedures for involuntary annexation, which is a lengthy process that requires an election. Unless the issue is approved both by city voters and by voters in the proposed area of annexation, a second election must be held. Approval requires a simple majority of the combined vote totals.

But even involuntary annexation doesn't have to be a tedious process. The city has only to persuade residents in the targeted area that annexation benefits them by providing city emergency medical service, water and sewer service, street maintenance, police and fire protection, and planning and zoning services to ensure orderly development. But there are negative aspects to annexation that also must be addressed: Residents have to pay for the infrastructure improvements needed to get city services, and planning and zoning services also include subjection to stringent building codes.

That is why the city's five-year annexation plan is a good idea. It identifies areas where the benefits of annexation most likely outweigh the costs and where orderly development already is occurring.

The plan would be better if it included a thorough study of the costs incurred by annexing each of the eight areas.