Natchez could use a good Vulcan about now, since all of the humans continue to mess things up pretty regularly.

With all respect due to actor Leonard Nimoy, who died last week, Natchez could use a bit of the futuristic, fictional character that Nimoy made famous — Mr. Spock.

While certainly not a self-professing “Treky,” the 1960s original Star Trek TV show was a regular in rerun during my 1970s childhood.

Spock was always fascinating in the way he could size up a situation, by eliminating any emotion, looking only at a problem through the lens of logic.

His fictional roots on the (also fictional) planet Vulcan could come in handy in Natchez now. Spock’s half-human, half-Vulcan DNA meant he had a rare knack for seeing through problems the rest of us found opaque.

Perhaps a little Vulcan review of things could help us all sort out a silly and ill-conceived idea and get to the sound and logical.

For example, can the City of Natchez please tap the brakes, hit the pause button or whatever other euphemism you’d like to insert in place of the current insanity surrounding what to do with the old depot building on Broadway Street?

Somehow, the city collectively seemed to be in a logic warp when the first notion came up that it would become home to some sort of partnership with Alcorn State University and have an adjacent farmer’s market.

Huh?

How did we all allow that train to leave the proverbial station before calling for a Vulcan logic check?

When the farmer’s market plan emerged, the city kicked out two private businesses that were renting space at the depot.

The booted gift shop, on the contrary was doing quite well. In fact, though the owners were unceremoniously kicked to the curb, the Old South Trading Post appears to have landed on its feet on Franklin Street and has expanded.

Clearly, the crumbling depot wasn’t the source of the business’ longevity and success.

The depot building is a beautiful building, one that needs to be restored and repurposed.

Now it appears the plan is to turn the building into leasable office space.

Perhaps I’m being too logical here, but is Natchez in need of more office space?

Making the historic structure into an office seems as silly to me as the notion that some true Star Trek fans have gone so far as to speak Klingon, a fictitious language featured on the show.

The city has made vast improvements to the public riverfront space. Nearly the entire expanse has been returned to the public’s trust. What’s our city’s plan for that? Let’s plop an office building in the middle.

Last week the city rejected bids to refurbish the building. All the bids came in too high, the city said.

First, could we have some logical, Spock-like, discussions on what might actually be the best use of the building before we put more money into it?

We need a greater vision for the bluff. The Natchez Trails Project created an amazing thing by making the bluff a place that attracts people from all walks of life.

Rather than figuring out what may be a good use of the building, then working to get the funding in line, the city’s plan appears to have been — let’s find some money, regardless of the source or potential restrictions, then make the project fit.

That is not logical or wise. May the memory of Spock’s human voice, Mr. Nimoy, live long and prosper.

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.