Friday, May 2, 2003
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Friday, May 2, 2003 |
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City reviews McIntosh parking lot plans By J. FRANK LYNCH
After years spent earning a reputation as one of the best schools in the state, McIntosh High deserves an outward appearance that reflects the excellence going on inside. That was the opinion of the Peachtree City Planning Commission when representatives from the school system unveiled the first conceptual site plans for remaking the school's parking lot and entranceway. Klaus Darnall,construction supervisor for Fayette County schools, explained to the planners Monday that the extensive remaking of the school's rather unsightly, sloping student parking lot is necessary to make room for a new gym. The school has about 600 parking spaces now, but that will be reduced by at least 80 when 200 spaces in the student lot are removed for the gym. Because so many students at McIntosh drive golf carts to campus, and the school has a separate golf cart parking lot, Darnall said officials don't think reducing the number of car parking spots will be a problem in the future. The current faculty and visitors lot will be torn up and rebuilt to hold 228 cars, from 108 now. A new entrance drive will meet up with the new subdivision entranceway across Walt Banks Road. The drive will split in front of the building, near where the present library is, and drivers will go left to a new faculty lot, or right to a refigured student lot. The project will help make the approach to the school more appealing, and will improve on traffic flow and safety, Darnall said. Crepe driveway will be relocated to match up with a new subdivision entrance across Walt Banks Road. City Planner David Rast reminded the board that the plans they were seeing were "conceptual only," but the members seemed unimpressed. "I was hoping to see a more dramatic entranceway," said Ray Green. "Maybe a new sign, some nice landscaping. I just see a bunch of trees plopped down." Explained Rast, "Remember, this is a parking lot plan, not a landscaping plan." Commission vice-chair Dennis Payton said, "Our interest is in seeing a better visual appearance to McIntosh," and questioned why the high school wasn't held to parking lot and landscaping codes the city applies to other commercial and public buildings. Rast explained that, as a courtesy, the school district is exempt from adhering to the strict design, landscaping and sign codes that otherwise would be applied. But, he said, the school board and city have a good working relationship that usually leads to agreeable compromises. "The Board of Education doesn't have to come before the city for permission to do anything," Rast said. "Then why are they here?" asked Green. Darnall said the school district is aware how the school looks and is working with the city to improve the "first impression" along Walt Banks, a major feeder road on the edger of the city limits. Even so, a motion to OK the conceptual site plan received no second, and died on the table. "I'm not sure what our procedure should be," Commissioner Robert Buckley explained. "This clearly is not up to city standards, but if we OK it what kind of message does that send? I don't want to go on record as supporting a project that's not the best this panel can hope for." Said Buckley, "McIntosh is one of the best high schools in the state, and it should look like it." Darnall said the school system will continue working to make the project the best it can be. Plans for the actual construction still must be completed. But the parking lot project needs to commence as soon as school ends later this month, pending funds are available. The planners finally OK'd the tentative layout of the parking lot work, by amending the original motion to state "Under the limitations imposed by the agreement between the Board of Education and Peachtree City, we feel this conceptual site plan should be approved." It was not clear if school officials will bother presenting the plans to the city council. In other business, the commission reveiwed new plans for landscaping at the Buckhead Brewery even as diners were enjoying opening night at the restaurant on Georgia Hwy. 54 and Lexington Circle. Buckhead Brewery was granted a temporary 30-day occupancy permit in order to complete the exterior, which didn't look like original plans. At issue is the lack of any kind of natural buffer between the rear of the restaurant and the homes in the Lexington Park neighborhood next door. The eatery is designed to look like a huge log hunting lodge, and little more than a low fence and some small trees separate the homeowners from the noise and glare of the business. A representative of the developer pointed out that they had already gone above and beyond requirements of the city by landscaping and sodding 4,000 square feet of entranceway along Hwy. 54. "Do we get any credits for that?" While the board members were appreciative, they still insisted that Buckhead Brewery build an earthen bunker along the rear of the property and plant it with a screen of trees to block the view for folks living next door. The restaurant will come back in two weeks with a "berm plan" that hopefully meets city requirements, the representative said. Also Monday, the planners OK'd landscaping proposals for both Tiger Way office and warehouse on Tiger Way and Jasper Engines on International Drive.
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