Southern Pines residents on Monday will get to tell the Town Council just what they think about how the new town hall and police station should look.

From noon until 6 p.m., the council hopes for a good turnout at the Douglass Community Center at 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave. for input on visual aesthetics of three possible choices of architectural and exterior designs for the planned new 30,000-square-foot, two-story building. It will be built at the site of the recently razed 8,000-square-foot facility at East New York Avenue and South East Broad Street downtown.

HSMM Architects of Charlotte on Monday will have special visuals showing each choice of exterior from every angle -- back and sides included -- with color concept drawings of frontage facing South East Broad Street.

"Because this is a community building and will be downtown, the council and staff want the public to be happy with it," said Assistant Town Manager Ricky Baker. "The council narrowed the options down several months ago from four or five to three concepts for the public to respond to."

Next, the council will make its final decision on which exterior concept to direct the architects to use in construction.

The facility is expected to last at least another 50 years. It will add new security features, such as a sally port for transferring suspects in custody from the car to the building, among other improvements in the 75 percent to be used for police functions. The remaining space will include a larger town council meeting chamber able to seat 250, and a small community meeting, also town offices.

Color plan options and floor plans on easels are already on display at the Southern Pines Library, 100 block of West Connecticut Avenue, with a suggestion box for written input. The library is open on weekends to the general public. Another set of plans may be viewed at the town planning and inspection department on South West Broad next to the main Post Office during normal weekday working hours.

People who want to relay their views to officials may place written comments in either suggestion box, contact any town councilman or the mayor, or call Reagan Parsons, town manager at 692-7021, or Baker, at 692-2720. E-mails may also be sent to Parsons: townmanager@southernpines. net, or Baker: baker@southern pines.net.

Contact Sara Lindau by e-mail at slindau@thepilot.com.