Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Westside annexing on PTC's agenda By JOHN MUNFORD jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com Peachtree City’s west side could possibly grow by 364.8 acres under a proposal from John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods. But before the plan can be considered, the city council must lift its moratorium on annexations, a matter that will be considered at its regular meeting Thursday night at City Hall. The request was actually spurred by Mayor Steve Brown, who wants Wieland to extend McDuff Parkway so it would link with Ga. Highway 74 north at Kedron Drive south. To do so will be fairly expensive because an at-grade railroad crossing system must be built over the CSX railway at the proposed intersection. McDuff Parkway currently ends at the city limits about a mile north of Hwy. 54. Brown said extending McDuff to Hwy. 74 would provide a vital cut-through for motorists to avoid its oft-clogged intersection with Ga. Highway 54. The irony of Brown’s support is that while campaigning for mayor, he suggested changing city ordinance so annexations must be brought up to voters in a referendum. Brown has repeatedly denied having any personal interest in the development. Wieland is also asking the city to lift its moratorium on considering rezonings for multi-family residential use. The company wants to consider a multi-family component to its plan, which will not include apartments, city officials said. The company wants to include a townhome or senior living component instead, said a memo written by City Planner David Rast. Dan Fields, vice president of John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, has also said the company wants to host a special land planning meeting called a charrette. The meeting would allow city staff and an annexation committee to join with “churches, citizens, seniors, Realtors, adjacent property owners, land planning specialists and other interested parties to collaborate on the future of this area of Peachtree City,” Fields wrote in a letter to Mayor Brown. Last year, Wieland lost a lawsuit against Fayette County which sought a more intense zoning to allow one-acre lots on the property for a 172-home subdivision. Currently the property is zoned R-70 by the county, requiring a minimum lot size of two acres. The parcel is located north of Wieland’s Centennial subdivision, which is off McDuff Parkway. The property also borders several parcels in the city limits that are located along the CSX railroad track that parallels Hwy. 74 north before splitting off toward Tyrone. The city has had annexation and multi-family moratoriums in place for several years to help control the city’s growth.