Extending design-review guidelines

In the opinion of Seneca’s director of planning and community development, a spurt of commercial development on E. N. 1st Street and the By-Pass points up the need for design-review guidelines to be extended to other parts of the city. Currently, such guidelines apply only to buildings and property adjoining the city’s historic district downtown. Ed Halbig, the director, made the announcement during a city council work session last night at City Hall. According to Halbig, the quality of development in the new Hampton Inn and Suites and the ground-breaking for a specialty dental clinic nearby demonstrate the need to require future building to meet similar quality standards. As other examples of new Seneca development, Halbig referred to a restaurant project and an I-T office under construction nearby on By-Pass 123.