More than 20 neighborhood associations

in north Fayette County have joined forces in hopes of developing a more

effective voice in dealing with issues in the area.

First on the North Fayette

Homeowners Association's agenda is opposition to a proposed power plant

just over the county border in south Fulton County.

But that's just the beginning,

said Virgil Fludd, who was named president of the group in an organizational

meeting last week.

The association's goal will

be to act as a conduit to be sure all the neighborhood groups in the area

are on top of every issue that comes along, he said.

"Sometimes we get very

myopic," said Fludd. "Just because the issue is not necessarily

impacting my neighborhood doesn't mean I shouldn't be concerned about

it," he added.

What's happening in the local

schools, transportation improvements and zoning issues are among the areas

of concern, he said.

"We want to make sure

people are aware and pool our resources to be more effective," he

said.

For instance, among recent

issues that were catalysts in forming the group was a zoning application

for a cemetery next to some north Fayette neighborhoods.

"That's a great example

of residents from a number of communities voicing their displeasure,"

said Fludd. "And the county commissioners heard their voices and

said they were not going to change that zoning."

The idea is not to bring together

numbers of people from each neighborhood in mass meetings, he added, but

for each neighborhood to send a few representatives to NFHA meetings and

then report