Last week was

the first public meeting of the new Fayetteville Historic Preservation

Commission.

And while some

local residents expressed concern about another government body possibly

interfering with their rights to tend to their property, city officials

said that there's no reason to worry about that.

The commission,

formed last year by the City Council, consists of five members Chairman

Addison Lester, Cochairman Sabrina Snowden, and members Tana Heaton, Lisa

Hovey-King and Tony Parrot.

Much of last

week's meeting consisted of discussions concerning proposed bylaws and

potential historic districts.

City planning

director Maurice Ungaro said that an architectural survey of the entire

county was conducted about 10 years ago by a Macon firm and the city could

get a great deal of guidance from that.

Two historic

districts in Fayetteville were recommended at that time one stretching

up Jeff Davis Drive from Ga. Highway 54 to Georgia Avenue on both sides

of the street, and another along Hwy. 54 west past Ga. Highway 85, including

the square.

Ungaro recommended

considering additional areas, such as the old school building that now

contains City Hall and some other buildings along that stretch of Hwy.

85. The Jeff Davis district could extend somewhat on the north end, he

added.

Also under

consideration is the establishment of guidelines for recognizing historic

buildings, such as the building's age (50 years or more).

A Lee Street

resident asked the commission about the effect any such rulings could

have on property values. Ungaro said that historic property almost always

increases in value as a result of that status.

He added that

an owner of historic property is not prohibited from tearing down something

on that property, selling it or even changing its use, provided other

city codes and ordinances are met.

While rezoning

property from residential to commercial or office use brings with it a

number of requirements, historic district or not, the city would have

no extraordinary control over property in a historic district if it remains

residential, Ungaro said this week.

An exception

to this would be if a structure was in a state of extreme disrepair, as

is the case from time to time with some of the city's oldest homes and

other buildings. The city has the authority to exercise a "demolition

down, in those cases.

Two items on

last week's agenda concerned requests for certificates of appropriateness.

The first, for the demolition of a structure at 355 South Glynn St., was

tabled because the applicant was not present at the meeting.

A request concerning

the enclosure of a front porch at 340 North Jeff Davis was approved.