New gas station in Crosstown/TDK area?

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

A large gas station, including separate pumps for tractor trailers, may be coming to Peachtree City on Ga. Highway 74 just north of the intersection with TDK Boulevard and Crosstown Road.

The only catch is that the current plan for the Omni Fuels site requires a land swap with Peachtree City to make room for a car wash, and that decision hasn’t yet been made by the city council. Monday night, the city’s Planning Commission voted 3-2 to recommend the current plan to the City Council, contingent on council approving the land swap.

If the land swap is ultimately deep-sixed, the Omni Fuels plan goes back to the planning commission for reconsideration, and changes to the plan would be necessary, officials said.

Commissioner Theo Scott opposed the use of a right-in, right-out access point on Hwy. 74. He said motorists will try and veer across two lanes of traffic into the left turn lane for Crosstown Road, creating a hazard because there’s little room between the exit and the Crosstown/TDK traffic light.

“I’d be more comfortable if you had to exit on TDK,” Scott said. “To me that creates a terrible hazard we don’t need.”

Mike Hyde, the developer behind the project, said deleting the right-out portion would still cause a hazard because drivers would sometimes use it to exit onto Hwy. 74 anyway.

“I’m just absolutely adamant that’s not smart, knowing what the public will do and what they won’t do,” Hyde said.

Engineer Don Cobb said the Georgia Department of Transportation has already given preliminary approval for the right-in, right-out intersection.

The store would be 6,646 sq. ft. in size including offices for the company’s headquarters. Eight regular pumps are planned for the front of the store, along with three other pumps for tractor trailers that would be located in a separate area behind the convenience store.

Scott credited the project for its use of pervious paving, which allows water to sink into the ground instead of diverting it to the city’s stormwater system. The pervious paving is used for a parking lot behind the store, a sidewalk in front of the store and the entry and exit lane for the car wash; it would not be used around any of the gasoline pumps.

Hyde also agreed to cut a pass-through lane for the tractor trailer pumps because it extended into the property’s rear setback.


		Friday, Dec. 17, 2004