Lenox to public: Wal-Mart decision was difficult

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

The 3-2 decision to approve a concept plan for the Wal-Mart Superstore back in November was "one of the most difficult decisions ever faced by a Peachtree City Council," according to Mayor Bob Lenox.

Lenox wrote an open letter to citizens addressing the Wal-Mart issue and explaining why council couldn't turn down the Superstore based on the wishes of residents who didn't want the project to be developed. The letter appeared in the January issue of the city's Update newsletter.

The property, which is located on Ga. Hwy. 54 across from the Planterra Ridge subdivision, has been zoned general commercial for years, Lenox said. Also, the land use plan called for a regional shopping center to be built in that area, the mayor noted.

Although the development was originally turned down by the planning commission since it did not meet the requirements of the traffic impact ordinance, a traffic improvement plan was later submitted that met the traffic impact ordinance, Lenox said.

And once the city got a copy of a letter from the Georgia DOT stating the improvements were "permissible," there was little choice but to approve the concept plan for Wal-Mart.

"Council members Brooks and Fritz and I felt that, despite any personal opinions we held on the matter, our traffic engineer's findings and the approval presented from the DOT, under the rule of law, left no choice but to grant the appeal and, in essence, approve the Wal-Mart," Lenox wrote.

Council members Annie McMenamin and Dan Tennant opposed the motion to grant the appeal. McMenamin had asked that the matter be tabled so the city's traffic engineer could present the plan to council.

Had the council members not been elected, some or all of them would likely have been in the audience to protest, Lenox said.

"However, when we take our oath of office, we accept the responsibility of trying to fairly balance the rights of all citizens, be they in the majority or the minority," Lenox continued. "The basic precepts of our society, including the rule of law, become more important than our personal opinions. However anyone on council voted on this issue, those decisions were not made lightly."

Lenox also pointed out that had Hwy. 54 been widened by to four lanes as planned, the infrastructure would have been in place to handle the Wal-Mart.

The traffic improvements that RAM Development has committed to on Hwy. 54 will help improve access for emergency vehicles, Lenox added.

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