So now Fayette County has its multi-million dollar Transportation Plan, funded by the Special Local Option Sales Tax approved in November.
Theyve got all these projects lined up to make it easier for us to get around. But what is going to happen to all the undeveloped land throughout Fayette, its cities and towns? Particularly, are Fayettes big cities: Peachtree City and Fayetteville, and the up-and-coming Tyrone going to get bigger by annexation?
So far, Fayette County has managed to escape many pitfalls of other Atlanta suburbs: immensely overcrowded schools and unbearable traffic. But even with a ton of road improvements, all it takes is a few mistakes to wipe away all progress.
Thats why its time for all our local elected officials to put their heads together and figure out just how big Fayettes cities need to be through annexation. Call it an annexation summit, if you will.
You need look no further than Piedmont Fayette Hospital to realize annexations can be good for everyone. The hospital needed the sewer service that Fayetteville could provide, and as a result most Fayette residents dont have to travel out of county for their healthcare needs.
Yes, the hospital annexation was a slam dunk win-win situation. Another good reason to annex would be to significantly improve transportation for everyone in the area of the annexed property. The challenge is that no one wants to move to a subdivision thats designed with a collector road to move traffic from nearby neighborhoods.
Youve got a situation in Peachtree City on the west side where residents are clamoring for an annexation that includes a transportation improvement offered by the developer, John Wieland Homes. Right now, residents in that area of the city only have one way in and out: Ga. Highway 54 West, the often-clogged traffic corridor.
The annexation is touted to help extend MacDuff Parkway to Ga. Highway 74 for traffic relief, providing an at-grade railroad crossing that will line up with the southern entrance to Kedron Drive.
Residents in the area would rather take their chances with the CSX trains than the traffic going to and from Coweta County, and who can blame them? The trains only happen by so often, while the Fayette-Coweta Hwy. 54 traffic is constant and, during drive times, horrific.
Of course, you can argue that those who moved there in the past four to five years knew exactly what they were getting into. To a small degree, the newcomers on the west side have contributed to the traffic problem.
That said, the newcomers are all city residents currently inconvenienced by traffic and if the annexation can happen with little detriment to everyone else, maybe it should be a slam-dunk too.
Keep in mind that by having sewer access through our cities, developers can dramatically increase density, which means a lot more cars will be heading in and out of Brand X subdivision as opposed to if it was developed in the county.
Thats one of the beauties of Fayettes slow growth: the lack of a sewer system in the unincorporated county. Basically, that limits lot sizes to a minimum of one acre at the worst, because at least an acre is needed to have an appropriate drain field for a septic tank.
The use of septic tanks, however, draws environmental criticism and arguments that a sanitary sewer system is the best way to handle wastewater. It may be, but theres a reason folks move to the larger lot sizes offered in unincorporated Fayette. And those people deserve to be protected.
So why shouldnt our local government officials get together for a summit on annexation? It wouldnt be too hard, especially for the county, Fayetteville, Peachtree City and Tyrone since they have professional planning staffs who can do much of the legwork.
The ultimate benefit of an interagency annexation summit would likely be to the countys crown jewel: the school system, which must educate each Fayette child regardless of whether he or she lives within city/town limits or not.
If all the cities can lay out where they might be interested in annexing in the future, the school system can be even more prepared when a particular annexation comes down the pipes.
As I understand it, Georgia law gives almost all of the annexation power to municipalities, leaving counties virtually unable to stop annexations. So its all the more important to get everyone to think about the possibilities BEFORE a developer approaches Peachtree City, Fayetteville or Tyrone with an annexation application.
So what do you say, city councils of Fayetteville, Peachtree City and Tyrone? How about it, Fayette County Board of Commissioners? Are you up to taking another bold step to protect Fayettes future?
This Fayetteville resident hopes you are. And Im sure Im not alone.