Friday, May 11, 2001
Friday, May 11, 2001 |
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Homeowners on private streets may contract with city for maintenance By JOHN
MUNFORD
Peachtree City homeowners who live on private streets may get some help from the city in maintaining their roadways. Until recently, residents on private streets have been stuck in a lose-lose situation. Street maintenance is a costly endeavor which the residents on those private streets must pay for. And many private streets aren't wide enough to qualify as a public street, so the city can't "take them over." In some cases, the streets can't be widened without violating the city's setback rules. Upset about the situation, some private street residents approached the City Council recently to determine how the city could help out. Especially since homeowners on private streets pay city taxes to maintain other public streets, but the city can't maintain their roadways. Some middle ground may have been found in a proposal that would allow subdivisions with private streets to contract with the city for repairs and maintenance. That way, the price could be worked out in the negotiation process keeping each neighborhoods' needs in mind. Mayor Bob Lenox, addressing the issue at last week's City Council meeting, said the proposal would benefit residents of private streets since the city has experts who deal with street maintenance issues every day. The city also has the equipment needed to do the job, he noted. Several representatives of homeowners associations indicated during the meeting that such a plan would be amenable to their residents. Council authorized City Manager Jim Basinger to begin negotiating such a contract with each separate single-family neighborhood that has private streets. There are 14 single-family subdivisions in Peachtree City which have privately-owned streets. It would cost the city an estimated $460,000 over a 10-year period to maintain those streets, according to figures calculated by the public works department. Some homeowners who brought complaints to council say they were never told by developers or real estate representatives that the streets were private. In some cases, maintenance of the private streets is left up to the homeowner's association. In others, it may not be so clear who should pick up the tab for maintenance and repairs. In the near future, council may ban the implementation of any more private streets in the city.
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