Something happened to me Monday night that has never occurred in nearly a decade of covering small town politics in Coweta and Fayette counties.

I was not allowed in to cover the first part of a heated Senoia Planning Commission meeting. When I tried to enter, a Senoia police officer refused to let me enter because he said the building was at capacity.

Now, I admit, part of it was my fault. I was about four minutes late, but I was stunned when I couldn't enter the building.

There were a few more citizens on the street complaining about lack of access since they were also not allowed into the building. Now, I understand fire codes and realize that cramming people into a meeting hall can lead to a possibly dangerous situation.

But I've covered countless meetings and never been denied access. When I asked the policeman if he could just open the door so we could hear the proceedings, he said he wasn't allowed to do that either.

The small eastern Coweta town is currently at a crossroads. Pressure is mounting for the lifting of a city-wide moratorium that has effectively halted growth in the town while the City Council and Planning Commission rework the city's zoning maps and ordinances to insure the city grows with a clear plan in mind.

For the last year, the city's Planning Commission has done yeoman's work in trying to fine tune ordinances and maps, while being constantly quizzed about when the moratorium will be lifted.

For the last month, the Planning Commission has stood with their feet to the fire while citizens and business owners have bombarded them with questions about the impacts of the proposed new maps and ordinances.

A weaker group of city leaders probably would have wilted under the pressure, but this group has stood firm and constantly invited people to attend their meetings.

Well, the town turned out Monday, but the city was not prepared for the large crowd. At the very least, city officials could open a door and let the citizens outside hear the meeting. The current administration has been very upfront about wanting to include everybody in the decision making process. Monday was a small step backward.

For many people, a newspaper is their only tie to local government. Time constraints, involving work and family, keep many people from attending meetings. It's my job as a reporter to let the citizens know what's going on in town and how it affects their lives. Monday, I was briefly denied that chance. I eventually got in, when one citizen left and graciously let me have his place and the events of the meeting are recounted on page 1.