Wednesday, September 27, 2000
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Wednesday, September 27, 2000 |
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PTC may restrict 'big box' retailers By
JOHN MUNFORD The big box issue is now headed to the Peachtree City Council. At its meeting Monday night, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the big box ordinance be passed by council. The ordinance features new language that forbids "large expanses of blank walls" on exterior building walls that face public streets or customer parking areas. To break up blank spaces, the ordinance suggests a number of different remedies, including the use of doors, windows, columns, awnings, canopies, murals and graphics. The ordinance also calls for the exterior building walls to be reviewed and approved as part of the overall final site plan review process. That newly added element allows city staff and the Planning Commission to have input on the final design. This would be the commission's first-ever attempt at having architectural control over new buildings. The ordinance still reflects recent changes capping the maximum size of a store at 32,000 square feet and the maximum size of a retail development at 150,000 square feet, unless a limited use commercial zoning is sought. "Those are substantial size limitations," said Jim Williams, the city's director of developmental services. A 32,000-sq. ft. store would be approximately the size of the Harris Teeter grocery store in Peachtree City, Williams added. But Jerry Peterson of Pathway Communities said the overall size of retail stores doesn't create a problem for the city compared to areas with a number of smaller retail stores. Williams said, however, that Police Chief Jim Murray opposes large retail stores. Murray told Williams that Wal-Mart, for example, doesn't prosecute shoplifters and therefore shoplifting becomes a continual problem at those stores. Still, Williams related, police are called to the store each time a robbery occurs even though store officials don't plan to follow through and prosecute the thief. "The chief is opposed to the large retail stores because of their corporate policies," Williams explained. Since the ordinance would require an addition to the existing zoning regulations, the matter must be advertised before it gets final approval by council. The ordinance contains language that would make it retroactive to Aug. 28. However, that won't stop projects which were "in the hopper" before then, including the Home Depot, Wal-Mart and the phase two of the Kedron Village retail center, Williams noted.
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