Friday, March 22, 2002
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Friday, March 22, 2002 |
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Mayor urges PTC Council to think about acquiring land By JOHN
MUNFORD
Peachtree City Mayor Steve Brown wants outside-the-box thinking from the City Council, particularly when it comes to planning the city's spending priorities. Specifically, Brown wants council to consider purchasing land for greenspace and other public uses such as cart path tunnels. Brown told council at its retreat Friday that such opportunities may not exist in a year or two because such properties, particularly those in the Ga. Highway 54 West corridor, are already being marketed for sale. Brown has made it no secret that he believes development of the Hwy. 54 West area which will include the massive Home Depot and Wal-Mart Superstore is crucial to Peachtree City's future. "We need a spending philosophy that I think is non-existent," Brown said. "There are certain properties we can acquire ... that in two years if we don't they will be commercial." Councilwoman Annie McMenamin said she felt the time for council to allot its spending priorities is during the budgeting process. But Councilman Steve Rapson said establishing such spending priorities now would help Finance Director Paul Salvatore prepare for the next budgeting cycle. The city has acquired commercially zoned property this year through the Development Authority's purchase of Drake Field between City Hall and Lake Peachtree. The city is paying the authority for that purchase with funds from a state greenspace preservation grant. McMenamin also said that looking back to her previous years on council, she wished the city would have decided to purchase more land for similar purposes. Councilman Dan Tennant said finding money to secure land for greenspace will be difficult in the future.
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