Wednesday, January 2, 2002
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Wednesday, January 2, 2002 |
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Lenox looks back on 10 years of growth By JOHN
MUNFORD
When Bob Lenox took office as Peachtree City's mayor 10 years ago, he was a total political rookie, with no experience in city government whatsoever. Never mind that he was filling the shoes of a legend, Fred Brown Jr. He couldn't have predicted at the time that Peachtree City would have grown as quickly as it did. But the city has managed that growth very well, Lenox says, with the exception of the traffic mess currently on Ga. Highway 54 west which the city isn't responsible for, he adds. And in true "tell-it-like-it-is" fashion, Lenox points the finger at the group he claims is the actual party to blame. "Talk to the folks at the Sierra Club," Lenox said, referring to the environmental group that tied up all highway construction activities in metro Atlanta for years with a lawsuit over whether the region met clean air standards. Lenox still marvels at how much this town has changed since he first laid eyes on it back in 1978 while delivering a Corvette to a friend who happened to live here. He recalled getting lost on the way after turning left at the stop sign that governed "traffic" at the intersection of highways 54 and 74. "I remember thinking, 'Man, there is nothing here!'" Lenox said. Now, the town is a big metropolitan city, complete with five major grocery stores and a plethora of restaurants and retail establishments. Lenox says he is still amazed at how much is available in Peachtree City, allowing him to avoid trips into Atlanta altogether. Lenox is also pleased with the businesses that have moved into the industrial park during his tenure, including Gardner-Denver, Cooper Lighting, Lawson-Mardon and the Federal Aviation Administration's traffic control facility. But Lenox is most proud of the projects the city accomplished with a recreation bond referendum that was approved by voters in 1993. "Without that, you wouldn't have a baseball and soccer complex on Highway 74, you wouldn't have The Gathering Place or the Kedron Fieldhouse and the amphitheater wouldn't be as nice as it is," Lenox said. "People who are here now think these things fell from the sky." Lenox has steered council meetings through contentious issues, sometimes taking personal abuse from persons speaking at the podium. Though he almost always took the abuse without firing back, he did defend himself on occasion. "The only time I have taken umbrage is if you're going to tell me I'm stupid or crooked, because then we're not going to get along," Lenox said. "... But I don't mind you saying you disagree with me on a particular issue." Aside from this year's debacle over the approval of site plans for the Wal-Mart Supercenter and Home Depot store, Lenox recalled one issue that riled citizens up left and right: plans to build what is now the Village Store convenience store at the south end of town at the intersection of Peachtree Parkway and Robinson Road. "You would have thought the world was coming to an end," Lenox said, half-joking and half-serious at the same time. Lenox also took a lot of heat, particularly from this newspaper, for the city's acquisition of the sewer system from Peachtree City Development Corporation (now Pathway Community Development Corp.). But he stands by council's decision and maintains that the system is one of the best in Georgia offering local citizens some of the lowest sewer rates around. Through all the controversy, however, Lenox said he was proud to have worked with the city employees who keep doing their jobs day after day. "It has been a pure joy working with everybody who works for the city," Lenox said. As for how he made it through 10 years in office and Peachtree City coming out as nice as it has, Lenox referred back to his original way of thinking when he took over for the esteemed Fred Brown Jr. "I said my job is 'don't screw it up,'" Lenox said. "And I can leave office saying I didn't screw it up. I'm real happy with it."
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