What our Readers Are Saying

Letters to the Editor

Chamber supports road plan, sets forum

The Fayette County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors announced [Aug. 4] their support of the countywide transportation plan and the referendum to fund the plan with a 1 percent sales tax (SPLOST).

This endorsement comes after extensive review of the specific improvements recommended in the Fayette County Transportation Plan, in-depth presentations by professional transportation planners, and discussions with chamber member businesses and the community.

The chamber board underscored their belief that our citizen’s quality of life and businesses across Fayette County are adversely affected by our increasing traffic congestion, and it is important that we act as a cohesive community to immediately fund and implement the solutions recommended in the transportation plan.

Every month of delay in commencing work on the plan means:

• Our congestion will worsen.

• The cost of implementing the plan will likely increase.

• The completion date will be further off.

• The land needed for the plan may not be available or affordable.

• Matching state and federal funds that are available now may not be available in the future.

The chamber announcement explained that the current SPLOST referendum slated to appear on the Nov. 2 ballot is specifically restricted to road, street and bridge projects. The transportation projects it will fund fall into two categories.

The first category is the county-wide projects which are specifically listed in the county transportation plan. This is an open document for the public to view.

These projects are a direct response to the transportation plan’s analysis of current and future congestion choke points wherever they occur in the county.

The second category of projects to be funded by the SPLOST is designated municipal projects. These are projects beyond those listed in the Countywide Transportation Plan, located within each specific city.

The lists were developed and submitted to the county by each of the cities. Peachtree City has 127 projects on this list; Fayetteville has 35; Tyrone has 23; Brooks has 6; and unincorporated areas have 18 projects.

It has been the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce’s continued hope that Fayette County and Peachtree City could reach an agreement on the particular percentage of funds the cities would be allocated through the SPLOST.

The actual difference in dollars between the split offered by the county and the split desired by Peachtree City is a difference of only 1.7 percent of the total funds that could be raised if a compromise could be reached.

But whatever the outcome of those negotiations between the county and Peachtree City, the chamber board emphasized in its resolution announcement that it believes we need to fund the transportation plan projects now, and not risk losing this window of opportunity for significant matching dollars from state and federal sources.

If the SPLOST ballot fails, it will be a minimum of one year, and quite likely two, before transportation funding would be put to another vote.

In an effort to help voters understand the specific transportation improvements that are proposed for the Nov. 2 referendum, the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce will hold an educational transportation forum on Aug. 17, at 7 p.m. in Sams Auditorium in Fayetteville.

This event will feature a speaker from URS Corporation, the professional transportation planning group which has researched and prepared the recommendations for the county transportation plan.

They will outline how the transportation plan was developed, and illustrate the current and projected traffic choke points which have been addressed in the plan.

Lists of the specific countywide and city transportation projects to be funded by the SPLOST funds will also be available at that meeting. The meeting is open to the public at no charge.

Virginia Gibbs, President
Fayette County Chamber of Commerce
www.FayetteChamber.org

Fox unfair, unbalanced

This summer’s conventions will help us decide the most important election of our era. So why did “fair and balanced” Fox News show so much less of the Democratic convention than its cable peers?

Instead of letting us hear the Democrats’ vision for America, Fox News continually interrupted the speeches to give more air time to their own pundits.

Serious news outlets give their viewers every opportunity to decide for themselves, especially when it comes to how they’ll vote. Fox News seems intent on only giving us one side of the story.

Sandra Stimpson
Peachtree City, Ga.

PTC should preserve Lutheran Church

It seems like such a waste tearing down a lovely church for yet another drug store; 24 hours of convenience at what price to our quality of life. I guess we are simply too young of a city for preservation to be an issue, but quality of life and public safety still should matter here.

This was the closing of a letter about the conditional sale of Peachtree City’s Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church and grounds to Walgreen published by your newspaper.

Preservation, however, is an issue for Peachtree City. That is, preservation of quality of life, which should include the architecture within our planned community.

Recently a failed theater, a closed Donato’s Pizza and a fire-damaged Morrison’s Cafeteria were replaced respectively with a restaurant, more retail space and an Eckerd Drug Store.

While neither these original nor replacement structures are or will be particularly appealing, we had little influence in their reuse since they all were land-planned and zoned commercial.

Taking a wrecker ball and bulldozers to demolish a signature and beautiful church, lawn and fountain at the crossroads of Peachtree City simply goes too far.

It is not just the memories of baptisms, weddings, living mangers each Christmas and fellowship that are lost forever. There would be a significant loss to the community as well.

I challenge you, the reader, to name a more attractive and architecturally desirable public property in all of Peachtree City; or for that matter Fayette County.

Christ Our Shepherd has been on this corner for more than 25 years. For a “nominal” payment they upgraded to this site rather than take the developer’s offer of free land.

It was common for Peachtree City developers to give land for schools, churches, golf cart trails and community use including recreation and public safety. It was this spirit that drove our planned community, centered on quality of life.

Preservation usually involves community-wide fund drives. In comparison this is easy. All that is necessary is for the Peachtree City Council to vote no to the proposed zoning change on this property from Office Institutional to Commercial and for the church to accept the community’s decision.

Is a church set up to serve the community or does the community serve the church? Is this fair to Christ Our Shepherd? They do have some real needs and have long been a pillar of the community. They are very good people.

This church might be faulted for not including the community in their original deliberations on whether to seek a zoning change to commercial or not. However, they are in my opinion a resilient, engaged congregation whose ministry will grow no matter what the decision. They are clearly a church capable of serving all for the common and better good.

Preservation and spirituality should be complementary objectives. A “Vote No” by City Council on changing the zoning to commercial does not stop Christ Our Shepherd from moving.

They want a much bigger property with a softball field for their youth and more. It would, however, almost ensure that the most attractive corner of Peachtree City is preserved. Otherwise we get the biggest box drug store in town plus a retail business to be named. There are much more suitable sites for both.

We are a planned community. Let’s stick to the plan and help preserve our unique quality of life.

B. Ray Helton
Peachtree City, Ga.

[Editor’s note: A reader chastized us for spelling the drug company’s name “Walgreen” without an “s,” as in “Walgreens.” The company’s actual name, as listed on the New York Stock Exchange, is “Walgreen Company.” The founder’s name was Walgreen, without the “s.” However, the company itself, perhaps bowing to persistent usage, names its stores “Walgreens,” and its Web site is “walgreens.com,” all without the possessive apostrophe. We will henceforth call the drug chain wanting to buy the church property “Walgreens,” without the apostrophe.]

Church would lose money on sale

Two weeks ago, my letter to the editor was published [in which] I indicated my objection to the impending zoning change of the Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church property, which would allow Walgreens to build a new drug store and additional commercial building at the corner of Ga. Highway 54 and Peachtree Parkway.

I have had time to further research some of the facts in my first letter. As a result I now believe the Lutheran Church would actually be losing significant money with the $3.5 million sale to Walgreens.

During the church’s community meeting held on July 22, Mr. Al Glaeser, head of the church’s sale team, stated the Walgreens offer was 175 percent above appraised value, was unsolicited by the church, and appeared to be “divine intervention.”

I now understand that the 175 percent was in relation to land value only and did not include building value.

I am an architect and I should have taken the time to estimate the existing capital improvement construction costs.

The current church with over 30,000 square feet is worth over $3 million, not including land and site improvements.

When the current land value of $2 million (3.1 acres zoned Office Institutional) is included, the total value of the property (land and building) is a minimum of $5 million.

If the zoning is changed to commercial, the church will actually sell the property at a minimum $1.5 million loss ($3.5 million Walgreens offer subtracted from minimum $5 million total value).

I wonder if the people in the congregation who voted to approve the sale truly understood the magnitude of the financial loss to the church?

If the church is willing to sell the property for $3.5 million to move to a larger site, I am amazed there is not a smaller church in this area that would be very interested in buying the property at a 30 percent discounted price, and, as a result, the whole rezoning issue could be avoided.

As indicated in my last letter, I still believe the site should not be rezoned. The tearing down of a landmark church for a new drug store and additional commercial building would be detrimental to our planned community. Therefore, I am continuing with the following petition:

“The undersigned agree that it is not in the best interests of Peachtree City to rezone the land that is presently owned by Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church from OI (Office Institutional) to LUC (Limited Use Commercial) to allow a new Walgreens Drug Store and another commercial establishment to be built at the site. This proposed zoning change affects all of us in Peachtree City. Anyone who would like preprinted copies of the petition for distribution in their subdivisions or organizations, please contact me at bnigro@redicheck.biz.”

I intend to present the petitions to the Peachtree City Council prior to their rezoning vote, which is anticipated in the middle of September.

Bill Nigro
Peachtree City, Ga.

Lawyers will drag out teens’ trial

The last line of this sad story says, “It’s a sign of the times.” The sad truth is that all of the political correctness that is going on today contributes to the way you have to raise children.

They have no respect for God, family or country. This couple was trying to help raise their granddaughter as a responsible adult and this is how they are repaid. What a tragedy.

These two need to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and shown no mercy, but I suppose some lawyer who is out to gain recognition for himself will paint a real sad story of their lives and drag this out for a long time to come.

Let’s hope a jury will see through all the smoke and mirrors and let justice prevail.

Nancy Sullivan
Fayetteville, Ga.

Paper left out important item about murders

“Kill ... Keys ... Money ... Jewelry.” “Attack, getaway plan written on suspect’s arms.” “Chief detective: Grandparents’ killings were planned.”

This article had an excellent quantity of details, refreshing, needless to say, which seem to be missing from most of the ABC, CBS, CNN, and MSNBC news I read.

However, it contained the usual plethora of grammatical errors, disturbing, needless to say, which leave the reader wondering if reporters are even required to take composition on a college level.

Do you remember the who, what, why, when, where, and how we learned in high school composition?

There are only six here, but did you know that there are actually seven? One has been inadvertently omitted!

Once you know what it is, you will say, “Well, you are correct!” However, one would be wrong to assert that that missing one goes without saying.

James L. Alfrey, Sr.
Quality Inspector (retired)
International Truck & Engine
alfreysr@sbcglobal.net

County police needed

I read the news story regarding payback by the Fayette County sheriff and I was shocked.

Payback is something you do in school when someone steals your boyfriend or when your brother tells on you for staying out too late. Adults, especially law enforcement officers, are not to encourage payback.

I know Major Tommy Nations is not a child since he is the commander of field operations for our county sheriff department, so why is he seeking payback on the county commissioners? Is this the standard operating procedures for our sheriff department?

Intimidation and payback have no place in our sheriff’s department and we should not tolerate such attitudes.

Search warrants and process papers are required to be served at reasonable hours, unless a dangerous situation would be avoided by an unreasonable time of service. The county commissioners present no plausible danger; therefore one car with one deputy during normal business hours could have performed this service.

Sheriff Randall Johnson, Lt. Col. Bruce Jordan, and now Major Tommy Nations have requested funds to hire more deputies this year. We do not need more deputies. We need better management within the sheriff department.

I will say it again, our county commissioners need to commence with proceedings to start a county police department. Convert the marshal’s department to a county police department. Fayette County deserves a better law enforcement agency.

Ashley Layne Watson
Fayetteville, Ga.

Son no bully

I am writing in response to your July 16 front page article titled, “Golf cart bully charged with battery.”

For your information, my son is not a “bully.” He in fact is an honor student at a Peachtree City high school and is working hard towards attending Georgia Tech. He happens to be a nice and caring 15-year-old boy who happened to one day be in the wrong place and run into the wrong person.

This person for some strange reason decided to call the police instead of calling me (the parent).

This blew an incident of a boy falling on his bike into pain and suffering for four local families of nice boys.

Your entire article was incorrect, by the way. My son was not arrested and for your information was the only boy there who had nothing to do with alcohol. He did not push anyone.

Name withheld by request

[The editor replies: The story was based entirely on official police reports and listed no names of any juveniles.]