By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@thecitizennews.com

While progress is moving along on Coweta's proposed mall, transportation issues still are proving the main problem.

In a letter to Coweta County Commission Chairman Vernon “Mutt” Hunter, CBL and Associates senior vice president Ron Fullam was upbeat on the development process.

“I feel we are making good progress with the securing of our major anchor tenants,” he said.

But the main problem seems to getting people to the mall. The mall location is just off Lower Fayetteville Road and has been talked about for years. Transportation officials have told Fullam that it's unlikely an interchange from Interstate 85 would be built on Lower Fayetteville Road.

Instead, Fullam said he would be working with county officials for an interchange at Poplar Road, which would provide an alternate route to the mall.

Hunter said he has never been against development of the mall and pointed out he wanted the interchange at Poplar Road years ago, but was voted down when the commissioners decided Lower Fayetteville was the best site for the interchange.

Another issue Fullam raised in his letter was the Moreland-Altobelli traffic engineering firm. The county works extensively with Moreland-Altobelli and Fullam has asked the firm to research possible access routes to the mall.

But Fullam wanted to make sure there was no possible conflict of interest in having the firm work for the county and the developer and asked the county to tell Moreland and Altobelli if there was a problem.

“I think you know a conflict when you see one. We don't have any business telling private companies who they can work for,” said Hunter.

The other commissioners agreed and declined to talk to Moreland-Altobelli about the project.