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Senoia, if you don’t build it, they won’t come

By JOHN THOMPSON

For many years, the city of Senoia flew under the growth radar. While people have marveled at the growth along Ga. Highway 34 between Peachtree City and Newnan, Senoia always seemed just a little far out to catch the developer’s eye.

But in the last five years, subdivisions started sprouting along Rockaway Road and it looks very likely that a huge Kroger shopping center will soon be built near the intersections of Ga. highways 85 and 16.

The key to much of the city’s growth has been the construction of a municipal sewer system, which was desperately needed. It’s hard to believe, but in the 1990s, there were more than 40 functioning outhouses in town.

For almost 20 years, the city discussed and debated building the system and now, it’s getting ready to be connected to residents and businesses in the city.

So I was a little surprised last week when the city’s engineer, Ben Turnipseed, told the City Council that the sewer system would run out of capacity in 2010.

Turnipseed offered the city four options for expanding the capacity from 490,000 gallons a day to more than one million gallons per day.

One of the options would pump the city’s excess capacity to Peachtree City. Senoia lies adjacent to Peachtree City’s southwest border.

He said Senoia’s population would be more than 10,000 by 2020 and the city needed to start planning for the growth.

Turnipseed also said the council would have to determine its “sewer market” area. He outlined a possible area that could run from the city border with Coweta County on Rockaway Road to almost Haralson on Hwy. 85.

It’s time to put on the brakes, folks.

City Councilman Bill Wood asked Turnipseed if projections had been made for the capacity needed for the undeveloped land within the city limits. Turnipseed said those numbers had not been calculated, but could have them within two months.

Wood was trying to make a point that the city should just worry about its current city limits, and not about annexing half of eastern Coweta County, and he’s right.

Everywhere that sewer goes, density and growth occur. Senoia desperately needed the system for environmental reasons, but it should not be used as a growth vehicle.

Instead of spending millions of dollars on another sewer plant or an expansion of the existing facility, it would behoove Mayor Robert Hannah and the City Council to take a long hard look at this issue.

Does the city want to be the “sewer capital of Coweta County” or does it just want to provide for its current residents and possible residents for land already within the city?

Senoia has always been a unique place. I first saw the town in 1980 and eventually moved there in 1991. Its small-town atmosphere is what has drawn people to move there in the last five years.

Do we want to permanently ruin that atmosphere in pursuit of sewer impact and connection fees?

It looks like the city is moving aggressively towards the model of Fayetteville to the north. Fayetteville used to be a quaint, small town, but sewer and aggressive annexation policies have caused traffic nightmares and almost torn the heart out of the city.

Sure, growth is going to occur. You can’t stop it. But controlled growth is the key.

The Senoia City Council needs to mull this decision carefully. You hold the future of this city in your hands.