A public hearing will be held Thursday to allow citizens tocomment on a Brookhaven Planning Commission proposal regardingaccessory buildings in residential neighborhoods.

The hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday in the cityboardroom at the government complex.

Mayor Bob Massengill and the board of city aldermen approachedthe planning commission for recommendations on ways of makingresidential accessory buildings look more pleasant for theneighborhood.

The pending commission proposal says accessory buildings orstructures should not exceed 20 percent of the square footage ofthe main building and should be built with compatible buildingmaterials as the main building.

Massengill and Building Inspector Walter Temple cautioned thatno final decisions would be made Thursday. Any proposal adopted bythe commission would have to be approved by the board ofaldermen.

“These are just some recommendations. The hearing will give uspublic input,” Temple said. “This is geared toward making accessorybuildings more compatible with the landowner’s home.”

City officials offered some mixed reviews of the accessorybuilding proposal.

Ward Five Alderman D.W. Maxwell expressed concern about thepotential that a home owner would not be able to have a buildingthat would house a camper or motor home. He also indicated thatsome businesses may not be able to sell certain types of accessorybuildings if the proposal passes.

“It’s something that really needs to be looked at,” Maxwell saidof the building proposal.

Ward Four Alderwoman Shirley Estes, however, cited comments fromconstituents regarding the possibility of large accessory buildingsdetracting from neighborhood appearance.

“The safety and appearance of the neighborhood is very importantto them,” Estes said.

Estes advocated that any accessory building be compatible withthe neighborhood.

Maxwell was hopeful a “happy medium” could be found in whichlarge enough buildings could be constructed but also be obscured soas not to detract from a neighborhood. Estes said she felt stronglythat anyone interested in the accessory building issue shouldattend Thursday’s public hearing.