Home renovation underway

By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com

A dramatic transformation is taking place on Williams Circle, where crews for John Wieland Homes and other volunteers are doing an extensive home renovation for a family in about 30 days, the largest project for Peachtree City’s second Community Action Day.

The Garner family, consisting of three adult brothers, their sister and her two daughters, moved out Sunday so work could begin. One of the brothers is confined to a wheelchair, and some of the renovation is designed to make life easier for him, such as putting in a sliding pocket door to the bathroom to eliminate the encumbrance of a swinging door. Two of the brothers are legally blind, too.

Faye Ellison, the men’s sister, shares a tiny 8-by-11 foot bedroom with her daughters Melissa, 13 and Rebecca, 5, so a screened-in porch at the back of the home is being converted into a bedroom just for the girls, with a new bathroom of their own, said Tom Carty, Peachtree City’s building official.

When all is said and done, the family will have new built-in shelves and bookcases, a slate of new appliances, a new heating and cooling system and brand-new electrical wiring, Carty said.

Even the old rickety wheelchair ramp is being replaced with a new ramp that will be easier to use, Carty said.

Of course, the project deadline is a little tight so it can be finished ahead of Community Action Day, which is May 14. Officials want to have it done early so volunteers have time to do interior decorations and the family has time to move back in.

John Strong, who is overseeing the project for John Wieland Homes, said the timeframe presents a challenge. He was able to joke about it Wednesday with a big rain storm on the way.

“I’ve got Ringling Brothers coming to erect a big circus tent,” Strong said after juggling various conversations with subcontractors and trying to find a Bobcat on scant minutes’ notice.

“We’re moving fast,” Strong said, noting that between 20 and 25 workers are on the project site at one time.

“Projects just do not move like this,” Carty added.

Carty said he has been surprised at the generosity of Wieland, particularly in the kitchen area, because he showed up Monday morning after the Sunday move-out to see the kitchen gutted. The company is providing new appliances and new countertops in addition to a custom cabinet to “hide” the refrigerator so space can be better utilized.

The home’s septic tank is failing, so John Wieland Homes and the Peachtree City Water and Sewer Authority are combining to get the home hooked up to the sewer system, Carty noted.

Strong said the project was just “a good thing to do for Peachtree City.”

“Peachtree City has been really good to us, and it’s time we give back to the city and help out,” Strong said.

Tami Babb, who is organizing the event, said she has been overwhelmed by the amount of support the project has received from the community.

“So many people are just answering the call, it’s unbelievable,” she said. “We just love this community.”

Carty pointed out this is a community-led initiative, not one being performed by city government. Wieland officials approached the city about what it could do in a volunteer effort, he added.

(Volunteers are needed immediately, ideally someone with a large truck or access to a moving truck, to move some large appliances and other boxes left in the half-garage storage area, officials said. A storage unit has already been secured for the Garner family; all that’s needed is a little elbow grease and, of course, the necessary wheels to move the equipment. To pitch in, contact Tami Babb at 770-487-8901.)


		Friday, Apr. 8, 2005