Sunday, August 19, 2001
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Sunday, August 19, 2001 |
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Commuter rail station deleted from West Village plan By JOHN MUNFORD
An advisory committee planning road and cart path infrastructure for Peachtree City's West Village area has decided to eliminate the proposed site for a commuter rail station completely from its plans. The site, which was located south of The Avenue at Peachtree City, was eliminated after several committee members worried this would give state officials the impression that local citizens approve of bringing passenger rail service to Peachtree City. The committee also decided to shorten the proposed access road south of Ga. Highway 54 and include a cart path tunnel under Huddleston Road. The plan addresses a number of projects to extend the city's cart path system and make the area aesthetically pleasing. One of the projects, a cart path bridge over Ga. Highway 54 West near MacDuff Parkway, would do both by serving as a gateway entrance to Peachtree City. The projects will be considered for grant funding by the Atlanta Regional Commission. City Planner David Rast said there will be $20 million a year available from the ARC for the projects, but the city won't be able to get the projects funded until 2004. ARC is particularly interested in funding alternative transportation projects. The commuter rail station, however, might never come to Peachtree City, some committee members argued. "Do we want to put in anything that might be construed as a commitment?" said Phyllis Aguayo. Committee member John Leonard said the rail station didn't fit into the goals and objectives the committee identified for the project anyway. Rast said he was worried about the rail station site hindering full approval from the City Council, which is required before the plan is sent to the ARC for review. Instead of discussing the location of the rail station, the report will mention that the advisory committee considered the concept but it was the subject of much controversy. Another part of the plan, the relocation of the entrance to the Planterra Ridge subdivision, could also be scrapped in the near future. Committee member Eileen Shaw, who serves on the Planterra homeowners association, said that plan should be discussed with residents there before it is included in the final document sent to the ARC. Shaw also suggested eliminating two proposed roundabouts on Planterra Way designed to keep traffic from using the road as a shortcut. The committee decided to shorten the access road south of Hwy. 54, beginning at Line Creek Drive, where the plan proposes a traffic light, and ending at Planterra Way. The original access road began across from MacDuff Parkway and ended at Huddleston Road. Shortening the road should eliminate use of the access road to avoid traffic lights on Hwy. 54. But the northern section of Huddleston was seen as a key area for a cart path tunnel so the path can reach the unique cloverleaf design of two tunnels and a bridge which provides access to the other side of the railroad track. The access road north of Hwy. 54 might also be changed as developer Doug McMurrain of Ram indicated he wanted part of it to curve northward, between the future Home Depot store and another commercial parcel. Then the road would taper back south so it could eventually connect Hwy. 54 at the intersection to Huddleston Road. The northern access road would begin at Wynnmeade Parkway, according to the current plans. The committee also discussed the importance of having trees along sidewalks and cart path areas to provide shade. Without trees, no one will use the sidewalks when it's hot, Aguayo said.
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