Vicksburg’s past and present administrations have this in common: They support the standards set for and followed by the Vicksburg Board of Architectural Review — as long as they agree with decisions of the volunteer panel.

Laurence Leyens was mayor when the Vicksburg Convention Center petitioned for a lighted sign to direct first-time visitors to its Mulberry Street location and to advertise events. The sign was needed, but did not meet specifications set for the area. Private petitions for such displays had been rejected. The Mayor and Aldermen allowed the sign anyway.

As 2009 ended, much angst arose over a petition for a balcony and exterior stairway that might lead to a second-floor lounge above Burger Village in the downtown area. Again, in objective terms, the petition couldn’t pass muster with the citizens appointed to preserve and enhance downtown’s architectural integrity,

Mayor Paul Winfield was pretty clear, even appearing before the review board to tell them they should OK the balcony and staircase. Ultimately, however, it was the Mayor and Aldermen that gave approval for both.

Now it’s the City of Vicksburg again, back before the panel, asking to build a windowless, 3,750-square-foot storage building at 601 Depot St., near the convention center — and on the same land where the city purchased and demolished a metal warehouse about six years ago during its urban renewal initiative.

Seems the city has bought 940 crowd-control barricades with a $67,680 grant and has no place to keep them in any of the 60 or so buildings the city already owns. So they want to put up a metal building, a request the board of architectural review rejected unanimously.

“Ludicrous” is a term used by one panel member, Betty Bullard.

The city administration, as the process goes, can appeal to itself and decide whether its application has merit.

Wonder how that will go?

There’s little easy or simple about controlled development. There’s little easy or simple when, say, residential and commercial interests conflict. Achieving the right balance is an art as much as a science.

But it seems when the city makes rules, the city ought to follow them.