Wednesday, August 21, 2002

I was quite disappointed with your recent editorial concerning annexations and the city. Your statements were totally inaccurate and without foundation in fact. In the 15 years I have been involved with the city I have never seen you at a Planning and Zoning Commission or City Council workshop or meeting. This could explain your misconceptions.

I am sitting here reviewing all actual annexations and formal requests for annexation back to 1990, including another unsolicited request before the city now. To prevent a tedious recitation, perhaps a recap of various classifications would be helpful information for you.

The need to protect the environment, our water sources, and water recharge areas is, in fact, the driving force for most requests. However, the city only approves annexation requests that provide a win/win scenario for all parties. Expanding the city's territory, tax base, or influence is never a consideration.

The Ga Highway 85 North annexations involved fully 45 percent of all requests. Previous county commissions asked the city for help with septic system failures in the north basin. There were failed systems pumping raw sewage into the stream system. In order to provide the city's sewer system to rectify the problems in the troubled area, contiguous properties had to be annexed.

This area also contained land zoned commercial by the county that was to become the Pavilion. At the time, most of the county commissioners wanted the city to annex all of the Pavilion property. Having been the commercial/retail center of the county for over 100 years they felt the city had more experience with large projects.

The city's development standards are still on the leading edge as we often get inquiries from other communities throughout the state and nation seeking help and information.

Love it or loathe it, the Pavilion provides shopping convenience and a broadened tax base for the entire county. I would compare the quality of the architectural and landscape standards to any power center in the United States.

Ten percent of the annexations involved four of our church congregations. It would be my sincere hope and plan for the city to continue to help our churches to expand their congregations and influence.

The next group of annexations involves our outstanding hospital and associated facilities. For over a decade literally hundreds of Fayette Countians worked to obtain a CON, Certificate of Need, so that we could have a first class medical facility. A large operation like a hospital needs to be on a sewer system. All three contenders to build a hospital in Fayette County had land next to the western city limits, midpoint of the county, so they could tie into the city's sewer system. Again, I hope that if the hospital has future needs to expand their service to the community, the city will be able to assist.

The next category is the Board of Education. The city annexed the Cleveland Elementary school site on Lester Road. We will let the BOE determine how much money they saved by joining the city sewer rather than having to build their own facility. The BOE just purchased additional property for a new school on Ga. Highway 54 West. One might expect another annexation request to Fayetteville or Peachtree City. Hopefully, we will be able to again help save the taxpayers additional money that might better be used to educate our children.

It is interesting to note that we have discussed 70 percent of all annexations and the first house has not been built.

There are two major areas the city has annexed for homes in the past 12 years. The first area is Redwine Road where John Wieland Homes has built the Lakemont and Lakeside subdivisions. These are large developments of three-quarter-acre homes. They are typical of other Wieland homes on Redwine Road into Peachtree City and are some of the nicer areas for families in our community.

The latest 36-acre annexation completes the Lakeside development. This was the most beneficial and exciting project to date. It completes the protection of the entire eastern section of the Whitewater/Gingercake watershed area where the city obtains most of their water.

Even more exciting, by purchasing the land, Wieland Homes helped the city resolve a long-standing lawsuit in which the city was able to purchase or obtain over 280 acres of permanent greenspace. We have thus been able to protect large portions of the Whitewater/Gingercake watershed from south of Burch Road almost to Redwine Road.

Who benefits? Everyone.

The other major area of residential growth has been on the west side of Ga. Highway 314 North. This land has been zoned for half- and three-quarter-acre lots. However, only half of the property was zoned for homes so that the total number of housing units was reduced. The front of these properties was zoned OI, office institutional, or light commercial.

This fulfills our commitment to preclude heavy commercial development on the west side of Hwy. 314. With the OI zoning across from the Pavilion and the new Bank of America building on the corner of Hwy. 314 and New Hope Road, beautifully landscaped, I might add, we have protected all of the families along New Hope Road from having to worry about any commercial encroachment into their neighborhood. These are all county residents and friends whose interests we have tried to preserve.

Finally, in May of this year we annexed 152.8 acres on Lester Road. This was at the request of the current county commission. Evidently the county was being sued over this parcel of land. We made dismissal of the suit a condition of annexation, thus saving all taxpayers a few dollars.

We zoned the land exactly the way the county requested and actually allowed a few less homes. With our "conservation development standards" which we have had for years under the term PUD, the developer was able to maintain about 37 percent open space. Most of the open space was located next to the larger lots in the county, thus mitigating any adverse effects to our friends in this areas.

Even though this tract of land also had access on Norton Road, three Norton Road residents did not want the new subdivision to have an entrance on Norton Road. The city and the developer honored their request.

There have been several other small annexations over the years, none less than a half-acre.

To be perfectly open, there have been some much higher density developments in the city on land already zoned for higher density. In fact, in the core city, we encourage higher densities.

The downtown area is where these types of homes belong. If we are to have a vibrant downtown, we must have a higher concentration of residents. By definition that is what city means.

Do we have all the answers, Cal? No, we do not, but we work at it and try to involve all segments of the community. We actively solicit input from homeowner groups, the business community, the University System, and any other source of information.

Cal, I hope you have found the aforementioned review of salient facts useful in your quest for accuracy. I stand ready to assist you with any additional information you may want.

Ken Steele

Mayor

Fayetteville

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