By MONROE ROARK
mroark@thecitizennews.com

Lift the moratorium and let city staff help plan the annexation of the so-called West Village into Peachtree City, the Westside Village Owners Group intends to ask the city council Thursday night.

The annexation and proposed rezonings involve more than 1,200 mostly undeveloped acres, some of it already in the city, and includes construction of 1,549 new single-family houses and a 100-unit assisted living center, for a projected density of 1.34 units per acre, according to the plan.

At a Peachtree City average of three persons per household unit, the plan would add the equivalent of a small city of about 4,600 persons to the city's current 33,000 population. Considering apartments and housing units approved but not yet built in that area, the new population could exceed 6,400 persons on the city's west side.

Also included: a bridge plus cart path over the CSX railroad tracks in the north part of the development that would connect with Kedron Drive, leading to Ga. Highway 74; 35 acres of commercial development just west of Sagamore and Belvedere subdivisions; and a 25-acre school site to the south of the commercial entrance. The plan proposes 281 acres as open space and recreation uses.

The proposed Line Creek Parkway would connect on the development's southern end with a road now under construction to serve as yet unbuilt 399 new apartments and 200 new homes in Cedarcroft next to Wynnmeade subdivision. The finished parkway, as depicted, would provide another route into and out of eastern Coweta County, an alternate to the current heavily trafficked intersection of Ga. Highway 54 and Hwy. 74.

A Fayetteville firm has prepared the conceptual plan on behalf of several property owners in the West Village, an area that includes 914 unincorporated, landlocked acres surrounded by Peachtree City, Tyrone and Coweta County. An additional 240 undeveloped acres included in the plan are already in Peachtree City.

Annexation is currently prohibited due to a moratorium raised by the City Council, but the West Village property owners were told last spring to come up with a master plan and bring it before the council for any discussion of annexation and rezoning to take place. The group was instructed to bring any such proposal directly to the council, as the moratorium prevents city staff and the Planning Commission from being involved, and would have to be lifted before anything else happens.

None of the current council members have stated a flat 100-percent opposition to annexation, although all five have recently said that a number of conditions favorable to the city would have to exist for it to even be considered. All of them have emphasized that they are under no legal obligation to vote on or even discuss an annexation request at any time.

Pathway Communities and John Wieland Homes are serving as lead builders/developers for the newly formed coalition known as the Westside Village Owners Group. That group also includes Cottonwood Properties and Adair Dickerson Jr. (representing the Redwine family), according to the plan submitted by Integrated Science and Engineering Inc.

That document also states that the group has a legal agreement binding all parties to abide by any conditions of approval, should the plan be approved, and the group would also share in the cost of required common infrastructure improvements.

General boundaries for the site in question include Hwy. 74 on the east, Line Creek and Wynnmeade subdivision on the west, the Tyrone city limits on the north, and the southern property line of the Katz property on the south.

Two major transportation improvements are included in the site plan: the extension of Line Creek Parkway all the way to Hwy. 74, with a portion of the new road to feature a bridge over the railroad at the northern entrance to the property with cart path and vehicle lanes.

The planners have listed a number of issues to be considered concerning the site along with proposed strategies for dealing with them.

A traffic study would be done to assess the impact of the development on the two highways as well as the benefit of the Line Creek Parkway extension. Any improvements deemed by the traffic study as necessary to sustain the overall development would be funded by the Owners Group. The plan proposes the following:

A fully developed, grade separated alternative transportation system for golf carts and pedestrian traffic would be provided.

A sound consultant would perform studies on railroad noise and present methods for mitigating sound pollution. Also, the elimination of at-grade crossings would nearly erase the need for train whistles in the area.

An extensive greenbelt system and open areas would be introduced, along with wet ponds as detention areas where feasible. Line Creek Parkway would feature a heavily landscaped median with a roundabout at the northern entrance near the railroad bridge.

Land would be set aside for a recreation area and a school as warranted by the Board of Education.

The city already has adequate sewer capacity for the entire project.

A major water loop would be installed in Line Creek Parkway from Hwy. 54 to Hwy. 74 for better network pressure in the area.

The average gross density would be 1.34 units per acre, which the planners say is consistent with other neighborhoods in Peachtree City. A total of 1,549 single-family, detached residences, along with a 100-unit assisted living facility, are proposed.

West Village at a glance:

Annex 913 acres

Rezone 241 acres (already in city)

Total — 1,154 acres

Single family houses — 1,549

Assisted living units — 100

Commercial area — 35 acres

School site — 25 acres

Open space, recreation — 281 acres

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