The Natchez Preservation Commission will discuss existing policies on vinyl siding at its meeting today.

Currently, applications for vinyl siding on historic structures are reviewed on a case-by-case basis with a restriction that siding cannot be applied to the portions that can be viewed from the street. Critics of the siding say it detracts from the historic character of the structure and could damage existing wooden siding.

Proponents, many of them historic homeowners, say they cannot afford to paint every few years and a prohibition on vinyl siding could deter people from buying or retaining the homes. Also at the meeting, the commission will hear a request from the Isle of Capri casino to demolish the old box factory smokestack adjacent to the casino parking lot. City Planner David Preziosi said since the smokestack is a historic structure, casino officials must have the preservation commission’s approval and a permit from the city to destroy the stack.