Peripheral planning meeting this week

The city of Cape Girardeau's planning and zoning commission meets twice on Wednesday. At 5:30 p.m., the board will talk about peripheral planning.

Section 89.145 of the Missouri Revised Statutes allows for cities the size of Cape Girardeau to implement rules up to two miles from the city limits, if the county commission approves. The county is required by law to hold a public hearing before deciding the matter.

City officials say regulating subdivisions beyond city limits is necessary. It will prevent having to upgrade streets, water and sewer lines to meet city standards after a friendly annexation, they say.

Stephanie and Rick Vines live on County Road 640. On May 1, Stephanie Vines, with son Eli, joined two other county residents, Emma and Norman Craig, at the comprehensive plan oversight committee meeting, where peripheral planning was one item on the agenda.

Charlie Haubold, chairman of the city's planning and zoning commission, made it clear he is not interested in seeing the city undertake forced annexations.

"You've got to come and ask [to be annexed]" he said. "We're not going to ring your doorbell and ask you."

Stephanie Vines and the Craigs wondered how the city could logically proceed, leaving islands of unannexed land amid the subdivisions being absorbed into the municipal boundaries. The comprehensive plan cautions against Swiss-cheese-style expansion. The Craigs said they don't ever want to see the 100 acres they own brought into the city proper. Bill Hinkley, one of the planning and zoning commission members at the meeting, said that wasn't the intent.

But he also acknowledged that many at the meeting, himself included, wouldn't be around to make such decisions 20 years in the future.

Vines faxed a note to the Southeast Missourian after the meeting, saying the city "should simply make it a public record that they will not accept friendly annexation of county subdivisions that do not meet city specifications. This should satisfy the city's concern of spending money to bring county subdivisions up to city standards."

The peripheral planning meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. at city hall, 401 Independence St., followed by the regular planning and zoning meeting at 7 p.m. Visit my blog at semissourian.com for the complete agenda.

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If you are related to any Jackson man who died in World War I, World War II, or the Korean, Vietnam, Afghanistan or Iraq wars, Dave Hitt wants your attention.

"We're not looking for third or fourth cousins, but direct descendants," said Hitt, commander at the Jackson American Legion Post 158. "We are going to unveil a memorial to all those men — and at this point it is all men — who have made the ultimate sacrifice."

Post 158 commissioned a 40-by-30-inch plaque, with metal name tags and three low-watt lights to keep the memory of the fallen alive as long as possible.

Relatives will be asked to stand while the plaque is unveiled as part of the Memorial Day activities, which start at 9 a.m. May 26 at the High Street entrance to the Jackson City Cemetery.

Hitt said that while some seating will be provided, it's a good idea to bring your own lawn chairs.

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The page on Cape Girardeau County's Web site listing publications by prosecuting attorney Morley Swingle has been altered. Links referring visitors to places where the books can be purchased, such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble, have been deleted.

Questions, suggestions or tips for Lost on Main Street? E-mail pmcnichol@semissourian.com or call 335-6611, extension 127.