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When the capital city began creeping
northward in the early 1980s, Madison city officials took steps to insure
that their unique community would maintain its own identity, and would
never become an anonymous suburb of Jackson. Drawing upon extensive
research made possible by a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts,
Madison developed and implemented a detailed plan to preserve the city's
superior quality of life. The result of their efforts is a carefully
designed city that will never be threatened by unwieldy development.
An official town center was chosen in a
historic section near the Madison depot for preservation as the visual,
social, and cultural focus of community life. Businesses who wish to
locate in this area must build in a style complementing the classic beauty
of the structures already found here, many of which are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places.
All structures built in Madison must be
designed by a licensed architect and approved by the city's Board of
Aldermen prior to construction. Strict zoning and architectural
regulations, landscape requirements, and a comprehensive sign ordinance
protect the small town atmosphere. These innovative measures preserve
Madison's unique quality of life, attracting only those businesses and
developments that fit into the city's quality conscious environment. |
