COMMITTEE

Havelin said the idea behind examining those elements was to ensure the visual integrity of the city is maintained.

“They'll be trying to make sure the building fits contextually with what's around it,” Havelin said. “Something located downtown shouldn't be in the Cotton District, and something in the Cotton District shouldn't be downtown.”

Mayor Lynn Spruill said presenting Starkville as a coherent, beautiful place was important.

“I think beauty matters,” Spruill said. “There are things that did not come out the way we would have liked them to come out in the past.”

While acknowledging the value the businesses bring, Spruill pointed to two locations, Russell Street Flats and Shaggy Hound, as buildings she believed could do more to enhance the area around them than they currently do.

“Love the businesses, hate the building,” Spruill said.

In the UDC, one of the criteria listed as being available for consultants consideration is the compatibility of a structure with other existing “well-designed” structures in the vicinity.

Using an analogy of going to Walmart in one's pajamas, Spruill said if the city ignored aesthetic elements of new constructions, it would be detrimental in the long-run.

“This is just another element of putting our best face forward,” Spruill said.

With the first consultant approved, Havelin said the Architecture Review Committee was officially ready to begin reviewing applications while the city looked to fill the remaining slots.

“It'll be complete when we get three consultants, but now, it is functional,” Havelin said.