Officials meet to hash out TDK issues

Fayette, Coweta chambers share concern over stall for redesign

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

A Tuesday meeting about the status of extending TDK Boulevard from Peachtree City into Coweta County featured players from each agency involved in the project, which is currently stalled in a redesign process to arc the road around the runway safety area for Falcon Field Airport.

Meanwhile, the apparent resolve of some Peachtree City council members to not fund the redesign and land acquisition costs has created concern among the business community. The Fayette and Coweta chambers of commerce jointly have passed a resolution asking elected officials “to ensure that the extension of TDK Boulevard remains a priority, and that they continue to work jointly to extend the road without delay.”

“It has enjoyed broad support within the two counties, and remains an important solution to existing traffic congestion between our communities,” the resolution states.

The latest snag in the project is a determination by the Federal Aviation Administration that the current road design would interfere with the runway safety area at Falcon Field. The redesign is estimated to cost $38,800, not including road acquisition funds, city officials said.

The city’s Airport Authority has offered $10,000 to pay for the preliminary redesign of the road, which will identify the the amount of property needed for the road, some of which is expected to come from the Planterra Ridge golf course.

Tuesday’s meeting on TDK Boulevard included representatives of Coweta and Fayette counties along with local legislators Mitch Seabaugh and Lynn Westmoreland, said Peachtree City Mayor Steve Brown

Brown, who has long opposed the extension of TDK Boulevard, declined to get into much detail about the meeting.

“Let’s just say we had some lively debate about the road and that’s all I can tell you,” Brown said. He later added, “There were some people who weren’t happy with some of the things that had to be said, and there were some people who want to work towards a resolution.”

Brown and council members have said they don’t want the city to spend any more money on the project although they are obligated under an agreement with the counties to perform all engineering and purchase all rights-of-way needed for the project. The same contract calls for the county to fund the road construction, and for Peachtree City to contribute $200,000, which it already has done, Brown said.

Brown contends the city has met all its obligations under the contract. The county should be on the hook for the rest of the funds, he said.

If the road were built in its current design, it would handcuff Falcon Field’s ability to grow in the future, particularly by limiting any possible extension of its runway, airport officials said. The FAA, which provides grant funds to Falcon Field, has opposed the road’s current design and indicated it would support a new design to maneuver the road around the runway safety area, which extends off the airport’s property to the north.

Brown said the intergovernmental agreement for that money will be considered by council at its Jan. 6 meeting.

“Nobody knows what it’s going to cost to finish the road at this point,” said Brown, noting the unknowns of land acquisition costs.

Brown also notes that with money spent during the administration of mayor Bob Lenox, the city has spent $550,000 on the road.

“I can firmly say we have met our obligations that we have made to all parties in regards to this road,” Brown said.

Brown has long opposed the extension of TDK Boulevard, saying it will jump-start development on the Coweta County side and provide little in the way of traffic relief. But he concedes the road will eventually be built.

“Everybody’s looking for another solution,” Brown said.

State officials, including Seabaugh and Westmoreland, eventually got involved in creation of the project, citing the need to alleviate traffic on the stretch of Ga. highways 34 and 54 between Newnan and Peachtree City.

Business leaders say that employees in the city’s industrial park, most of whom live out of the county, would benefit tremendously from the road project, which will give a southern entryway to the industrial park.


		Friday, Dec. 17, 2004