The Board of Directors of the Columbiana Merchants and Professionals Association has asked the Columbiana City Council to establish guidelines to regulate the architecture and landscaping of new construction and remodeling of commercial buildings inside the city limits.

Mayor Allan Lowe distributed a letter to members of the City Council during a Feb. 7 pre-council meeting.

When asked about the letters, Lowe said he received a letter from a representative of the Columbiana Merchants and Professionals Association.

Lowe said he accepted the letter and insured the representative that he is concerned about the appearance of the city as a whole and commercial district in particular.

&8220;I feel that it is time to create standards to insure that commercial growth and renovations reflect the character of the areas of town in which they are located,&8221; Lowe said.

The letter, signed by Stancil Handley, vice-president of the Columbiana Merchants and Professionals Association reads:

&8220;Our concern is over the fact that at present, new construction or new remodeling projects have no regulations to guide them on items such as

1. Exterior Building Facade

2. Landscaping

3.

Roof Lines.&8221;

The letter concludes, &8220;We would like to see this regulated so that new projects must be in keeping with the intent of the recent downtown renovations.&8221;

Handley said he had delivered the letter to Lowe at the request of the Columbiana Merchants and Professionals Association.

&8220;Our position is that the city has already spent a lot of money with its downtown renovation project. We just don&8217;t want to see a lot of building and renovation outside the theme that has been set,&8221; Handley said