For Fayetteville residents, 1998 was a bellwether year as the city made bigger than usual strides on a number of fronts.

Revitalization and historic preservation moved to the front burner.

Retail sales taxes, bolstered by rapid new development at Fayette Pavilion, helped the city government fund its downtown revitalization and other projects at new levels, while residents saw property tax rates and insurance premiums reduced.

Rates for fire insurance were reduced by most insurance companies after the city posted an improvement in its fire service rating, from five to four on a scale of one to ten.

The Insurance Services Organization ruled that the city's ability to prevent fire damage has improved that much, and the resulting reduction in insurance premiums to homeowners averaged about 9.5 percent, officials said.

With news that rapid retail growth has provided about a 21 percent increase in sales tax revenue, the city put some of that money into homeowners' pockets with a reduction in property tax rates of .31 mills.

Some homeowners' taxes actually went up, though, because of a county-wide reassessment of property values to adjust for inflation.

City officials also funded a new pay and incentive program for employees, and began a five-year program to improve its Main Street downtown revitalization program. City Council approved a $1.2 million bond issue to pay for purchase and renovation of the historic Holliday-Dorsey-Fife House, plus renovation of another historic home, the Hollingsworth House, and streetscape improvement projects on the Courthouse Square.

Another victory was scored by the city Police Department, which was named the best-trained department in the state, and received certification by the Georgia Police Accreditation Commission, a prestigious designation held by only 24 departments in the state.

The city also opened its new state-of-the-art water treatment plant on First Manassas Mile Road, eliminating its need to buy water in order to serve local residents.

Meanwhile, city residents and officials faced numerous controversial development plans as part of the planning process during 1998. Developer P.K. Dixon failed in his plan to build a residential subdivision and industrial complex on land at the end of Burch Road. City Council declined to annex part of the land into the city and grant planned development zoning to allow the development after scores of residents attended numerous meetings to protest.

At the top of objections was Dixon's plan to open a cul-de-sac at the end of Burch to provide access to the property. Dixon's lawsuit to force that access is pending.

Concordia Partners Inc. also faced year-long neighborhood opposition to its plans for a shopping center at Ga. Highway 85 and Pine Trail Road. After numerous marathon public hearings, the matter was disposed of Monday night by City Council after the Planning Commission denied approval of Concordia's development plans. Central to that controversy, too, has been access. The company wants access from Pine Trail Road. Residents oppose it.

Rezoning fights have been few in Fayetteville this year, due to a moratorium that has been in effect most of the year, to give planning staff and the Planning Commission time to revise the city's land use plan and map.