Friday, January 2, 2004
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Friday, January 2, 2004 |
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Planning Commission dealt with Georgian Park issues for much of 2003 By MICHAEL BOYLAN The Peachtree City Planning Commission had a long back-and-forth with Buckhead Brewery concerning a number of issues after the restaurant opened, including berming, having the wrong sorts of trees and having a final landscape plan for the commission to approve. These issues were resolved and there was never really a time when it was expected that the restaurant would have to close its doors. However, there were two big issues in 2003, and both concerned development near Georgian Park, which is located near Ga. Highway 74 North and the Kedron Village Shopping Center. The first proposed development was a 24-hour car wash. Citizens came out in droves to oppose it. They cited concerns over traffic, crime, light, noise, and water runoff. The planning commission agreed with the citizens and denied the proposal. The developers went before City Council, which took no action, and then the matter went to court. The developers settled out of court and will get to build their car wash. It will be open 24 hours, but lights will be on timers so that during the late hours of the evening and early hours of the morning it will not be intrusive. The second proposed development is the one that would bring big-box retailer Target and four other stores to the Phase II development of the Kedron Village center. The initial numbers of the development stated that it would be 264,000 square feet and would have 1,100 parking spaces as well as golf cart parking spaces closer to the building. Residents of Georgian Park once again stated concerns about increased traffic and crime, and the planning commission cited concerns about the vast number of parking spaces, which would create too much impervious surface and add to runoff problems. The developers and the residents debated the issues back and forth, with residents claiming that the plans violated the town’s big box ordinance and that the development should not be grandfathered because of significant changes made to the development over the years. The planning commission denied the development, and it was to go before the city council for appeal. Faison, the group developing it, pulled it off the agenda and filed a lawsuit against the city in November. One should expect to see this issue in the news again for much of 2004, as the developer tries to develop the land it owns, and residents in the area try to get the development to conform to standards that other developments in the city must conform to. The planning commission meets at 7 p.m. the second and fourth Mondays of every month at Peachtree City City Hall. The next scheduled meeting is Jan. 12.
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