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PTC may lift long-time annexation ban

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@thecitizennews.com

An annexation that would add 364.8 acres to west Peachtree City may again be tabled at Thursday night’s City Council meeting.

City staff have recommended the proposal, from John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, be postponed until the city can finalize changes to a city ordinance about how annexation proposals are handled.

The recommended ordinance is also due to be heard at Thursday’s meeting, leaving it possible that council could table the Wieland annexation until later on in the meeting in case the new annexation review process is approved.

The annexation request was actually spurred by Mayor Steve Brown, who wants Wieland to extend McDuff Parkway to link with Ga. Highway 74 north across from Kedron Drive south at the Comcast cable TV facility. Doing so will be fairly expensive since an at-grade railroad crossing must be built over the CSX railway at the proposed intersection.

Brown has said extending McDuff to Hwy. 74 will provide a vital bypass for motorists to avoid the often-clogged intersection of Hwy. 74 and Ga. Highway 54.

The irony of Brown’s support is that while campaigning for mayor, he suggested changing city ordinance so annexations must be voted on by citizens in a referendum. Brown has repeatedly denied having any personal interest in the development.

The city currently employs a moratorium on annexation which was designed to keep city officials from being overburdened with proposals. Under current rules, that moratorium must be lifted by the City Council before city staff can work with a developer on any specific annexation proposal.

The new ordinance calls for two steps, the first of which would provide a general overview of the proposed annexation and how it may or may not be compatible with the goals of the city’s Comprehensive Plan for land use. After that information is gathered, a vote of recommendation from the City Council would be required before city staff could continue to work with the developer on any given annexation proposal.

If council approves such a recommendation, then the city could require additional detailed information specific to the annexation request and the proposed development.

The parcel Wieland wants to annex was actually the subject of a recent lawsuit between Peachtree City Holdings, also known as Pathway Communities, and Fayette County. Pathway officials wanted a more dense zoning for the property, but the zoning approved by the county, for 2-acre lots, was upheld by the court. Pathway subsequently sold the land to Wieland.

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.