INDIANAPOLIS -- The state government is getting close to deciding on whether the governor and his wife should stay in their north side residence or move to a new home, and controversy still surrounds the question.

A commission, which will make the decision, looked at possible sites Thursday.

In addition to the commissioners, their aides and the media, carloads of northside neighbors of Gov. Frank O'Bannon and his wife tagged along on the tour of the five properties under consideration as the first family's new residence. Those neighbors continued to emphasize their opposition to seeing the first family move out of the current residence.

The group first went to a site on Meridian, just south of Fall Creek, a block currently occupied by several fast food restaurants and small office buildings.

The second stop was at Fort Harrison State Park, where there are two sites. One is a location next to the golf course which now contains a soccer field and running track. The second is on the west side of the park, in an area now mostly covered by trees.

Commissioners examined the St. Maur monastery site on Michigan Road after that.

The final stop was across from the girls school. That lot already has a state-owned house made famous by a former correction commissioner who installed gold-plated bathroom fixtures. If this site is chosen, the state would build a new house.

A sixth site, the former Campbell Mansion on Cold Spring Road, has already been eliminated. Since it's on the National Registry of Historic Buildings, commissioners believe that it would be too difficult to get permission to remodel.

Many of the governor's current neighbors didn't think much of the proposed sites.

"So here you have a lot that's smaller than the lot that they're already on. A lot of demolition that has to take place, and frankly it's sort of noisy and congested areas," neighbor Bill Osterle said.

On Wednesday, commissioners will meet and narrow the five finalists down to one site. In November, they'll make the big decision of whether to remodel the current site or to move the residence.

Commissioners haven't set a price tag for a new home yet or identified a source for funds, but they promise to do the project with all private money.