Wednesday, May 30, 2001
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Wednesday, May 30, 2001 |
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Might PTC fund 54-74 traffic improvements to give break to big boxes? It is my sincere hope that our city government in Peachtree City is not trying to bill the citizens for traffic improvements that will entitle the big box developer to build a Wal-Mart and a Home Depot. It appears that there might be a movement by a select few to have the city fund traffic improvements so that the big box stores would be able to pass the Traffic Impact Ordinance once again since their previous determination expired. We have two gigantic retail establishments that have combined revenue that far exceeds the gross national product of many countries around the world and we are being asked to scrape together the funds in their stead. Anything that is performed with taxpayer funds to benefit a project where the developer refuses to sign developer agreements, refuses to obtain permits, fails to move traffic signals as promised and is past due on payments owed to the city is bordering on administrative negligence. Let's all insist on equal justice and fairness to all. The City Council needs to give a definitive opinion on whether the big box developer is in compliance or not with our ordinances. If the developer is ruled to have no vested rights as our ordinance clearly states and is made to reapply to the city, then we need to begin looking at our traffic funding options. However, for the City Council to not make such a determination would be a complete disregard of their duties and a slap in the face of their constituents. Every family living in every village in Peachtree City would likely never receive as much freedom from the restraints of the law as this out-of-town developer has acquired. There are literally thousands of local citizens wondering if someone is being paid off to look the other way. How can we explain it when certain government officials publicly state their opposition to a project and yet allow a total mockery of our ordinances and development agreements to occur? Shakespeare himself could not pen a more fanciful tragedy than the one we have been witnessing over the past two years. I can only imagine what sort of battles we will have to fight over the Kedron Village big box site and its accompanying problems. For those living in Kedron, we can only hope that the back-room deals will be extinguished once and for all before a site plan is entered for that property. Steve Brown Peachtree City Steve_PTC@juno.com
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