Cape Girardeau County Remains Missouri's Only First-Class County Without Zoning
Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, remains the only first-class, non-charter county in the state without planning and zoning regulations, a stance unchanged despite renewed development questions. While the potential for data centers and large solar farms has brought the issue back into discussion, county commissioners currently have no plans to implement zoning.
Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, distinguishes itself as the sole first-class, non-charter county in the state operating without comprehensive planning and zoning regulations. This long-standing position has been maintained despite renewed discussions prompted by potential developments, including data centers and large solar farms.
Historically, the county has resisted zoning efforts. Voters approved county planning in 1972, leading to the adoption of subdivision and mobile home park regulations by 1975, and a master plan in 1977. However, a proposed zoning ordinance failed in 1992, effectively voiding previous plans, and a revival attempt in 2000 was rejected by 69% of voters. More recently, in 2008, the City of Cape Girardeau considered "peripheral" zoning for areas within two miles of its border, but this gained little traction.
While officials from neighboring Christian and Clinton counties, like Todd Wiesehan and Tricia Knight, advocate for zoning as a tool for orderly development and reducing community friction, Cape Girardeau County's presiding commissioner candidates, Charlie Herbst, Joe Hobbs, and J.W. Strack, emphasized personal property rights at a recent forum. They acknowledged development issues but expressed reservations about full planning and zoning.
Despite the "rumblings" of potential data centers and large solar farms raising the question of regulating such developments, Cape Girardeau County commissioners have stated in an emailed statement that there are currently "no plans at this time for planning or zoning."