For many Mississippians, Natchez epitomizes historic preservation. From the meticulously kept antebellum houses to the historic downtown shops, Natchez’s downtown oozes history from every pore.

For decades Natchez residents and leaders carefully balanced the tight rope between preserving the history and allowing progress. Some of the city’s regulations were used as models for other cities seeking a similar balance.

In recent years, however, our city has lost focus a bit. In an effort to promote “progress” we’ve sidestepped some of the very things that helped us preserve all that we have and cherish today.

Last week’s flippant disregard for state regulations protecting the former Natchez Pecan Factory building is just the latest of several instances in which we’ve collectively lost sight of what’s important to the city of Natchez.

For example, the city needs to dust off the sign ordinance again and begin earnest enforcement. Sign-ordinance abuse is rampant. In the name of allowing progress, we’ve let the landscape become cluttered with distracting advertising.

Our aldermen have given themselves pay raises, but have we addressed the crumbling sidewalks with a fully updated, comprehensive plan complete with funding sources?

The latest scrap between our hardheaded mayor and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History is bigger than the fate of the pecan factory building. The fact is that aside from the criminal charges that we hope are pursued, Mayor West’s insistence on “progress” now may have put any future MDAH grants at risk and given the state’s jewel of historic preservation a tarnished reputation.

The pecan factory’s demolition has cleared the way for progress, but at what cost?