Residents of

downtown Fayetteville were assured by the City Council Thursday night

that a proposed historic preservation district would not be enacted anytime

soon.

An ordinance

establishing the district was posted for first reading at the council's

regular meeting, but council members said it would be removed from the

agenda at the Aug. 2 meeting. Mayor Kenneth Steele initially recommended

doing that immediately, but it was decided that the item would have to

stay on the agenda for now because the Aug. 2 meeting has already been

advertised.

The historic

preservation district has come under fire in recent weeks due to residents'

concerns that unreasonable restrictions would be placed on their property

and they would be unable to sell or tend to their homes and businesses

as they see fit.

Steele assured

the large crowd gathered at Thursday night's meeting that it is not the

city's intention to do anything that would be construed as "intrusive

government."

The most likely

scenario indicated by the council was returning the matter to the city's

Historic Preservation Commission for further study while getting additional

input from local residents.

Steele acknowledged

that the city probably did not communicate the intent of the ordinance

as well as it should, which has led to many residents not understanding

what the council wants to do. "I take responsibility for not communicating

it to you," he told the audience .