THE PUBLIC MIND: PROPERTY OWNERS WILL WIN IF COUNTY ZONING WINS ENDORSEMENT

To Cape Girardeau County Voters:

No one likes more government regulations. Everyone wants to do what they want with their own property. Yet, we go looking for help from the government when our neighbors do things on their property we do not like. Without zoning, the county government can not help you with your grievance, nor can it implement planning.

The present proposed Planning and Zoning order does not apply to incorporated areas in the county, and does not apply to land used for agriculture or farm buildings, except those covered by federal flood insurance. All things at present in unincorporated areas of the county will be grandfathered in and allowed under the order. Nothing will change or be affected except future developments and future expansions will be planned.

As we get more people in our county we must have more rules and regulations so that we can live peacefully together. Cape Girardeau County has more that 60,000 people and growing larger every day. The day of the isolated rural resident are over.

At present, both Cape Girardeau and Jackson have Zoning and Planning. Businesses that want to avoid these rules move their business out into the rural areas of the county. To operate they need water, electricity, telephone, natural gas service, and good roads. So, where do they find these things? They find them in rural residential areas. They put their truck repair, parts depot, saw mill, truck washer, trailer park, and other things to numerous to mention next to rural residential areas and subdivisions. These people believe that their covenant will save them. Yet, they are surprised and angry to find their covenant has no effect on land across the road or land next to the subdivision.

The day of driving four wooden stakes in the ground to mark the land for sale are over. Rural residents need a clear title to their land for loans and future sale of the land. Rural residents need utility service and utilities demand utility easements so that repairs can be made from time to time. Rural residents in subdivisions need road agreements so that subdivision roads will be maintained over the years.

These things you can not have unless the people selling land to rural residents survey, prepare road agreements that each buyer signs when they buy the land, and provide utility easements. Then the seller must have the survey plat with utility easements and road agreements recorded with the county government to make these things legal and binding. Then, and only then, is the new rural resident protected from the seller trying to maximize profits. Without zoning, it is difficult to get a seller to provide those things that should be provided to every rural land buyer.

If Planning and Zoning are voted out who will win? Those that hate building permits will not win, because building permits are required to qualify for Federal Flood Insurance. Surely, we that do not live on a flood plain will not remove flood insurance from the needy! The businesses running away from city planning and zoning will win. They will be our new neighbors. The cities that wish to open new landfills will win, because no one will be able to stop them. All they need to do is buy the land, and if you believe one should be able to do what they want on their own land, surely, you would not complain. Farm subdividers will win for they will maximize their profits by not providing road agreements, utility easements, and not having the property surveyed or plat recorded. Businesses that wish to advertise their business on a billboard across from your house will win for there will be no billboard regulations without zoning.

Who will lose? You will lose and I will lose! If someone does something on land near us that we do not like, what can we do? We could hire a lawyer and sue them for being a public nuisance. But, then the lawyers will win for the courts will be crowded with civil cases.

So, I will vote for zoning and planning, and I will vote against getting rid of zoning and planning. I am retired and live on two acres of land in rural Cape County. I will vote to protect what I have and I hope you will too.

Gene Peterman

Chairman, Cape County

Planning Commission