Friday, August 2, 2002

New administrator for 'tidal wave' of growth

By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizenNew.com

Monday marks a new beginning for Jim Williams.

For more than 20 years, Williams has helped develop Peachtree City as a model community for the Atlanta region.

Now, Peachtree City's director of developmental services is taking his development and planning hat a little bit north to Fairburn, where he starts as the city's administrator Monday.

"I'm really looking forward to it. It's going to be really fun to get up and go to work in the morning," Williams said.

Williams has been gradually meeting the folks in Fairburn and observed the City Council in action for the last month.

"I want to get a developmental program in place that will insure the growth and prosperity of the city," he added.

For years, Williams has watched the Atlanta region grow by leaps and bounds, but most of it was in the northern suburbs.

But now...

"The new growth is like a tidal wave headed south from Atlanta," he said.

Williams plans to first start evaluating the city's comprehensive land use plan, and then meet with Fairburn's leaders to determine what their plans are for the city.

In his initial observation of the city, Williams believes its development pattern is on track, but would like to see a higher quality of growth come to the area.

Williams replaces Tony Cox who left earlier this year to take a city administrator's job in Virginia.