Brookhaven aldermen are taking a stand to promote communityappearance and protect property values in the city.

The board this past week approved a six-month moratorium on modularbuildings and mobile units locating in the city. The move comes inresponse to a planned modular building that will serve as a clinicand is a step toward an ordinance to prohibit or govern location ofsuch buildings in the city in the future.

While modular buildings can be landscaped to look nice, the factremains they are not as stable and structurally sound as those madeof brick and mortar. Those kinds of buildings are more permanent,offer more safety during storms and have less risk of threateningthe values of surrounding properties.

Modular buildings have the potential to serve temporary needs well.Operating out of a modular building while or until a permanentstructure is built represents an eagerness by the business to servethe community and its commitment to it.

But the use of modular buildings for the sake of cost-savings orconvenience is far less desirable than the alternative.

Communities that want to put their best foot forward do what theycan do to limit things that would detract from that outcome. Withtheir decision last week, aldermen are stepping out for a betterBrookhaven future.