Holding out for years for the right kind of development at Ga. Highway 54 and Walt Banks Road may have paid off for Peachtree City officials in the form of an upscale, old-town-square shopping area proposed for the site. John Callaway of Callaway Land Company explained that the controversial 33-acre site now has been augmented by an adjoining 19-acre tract, to allow extensive buffering of "The Peachtree City Mews."

Callaway is seeking a "limited use commercial" classification for the entire site, which he explained will limit development to exactly what is approved for the site. It's his first development in the area, he added, and he is interested in creating "a place where people want to be, not just shop; there are lots of places to shop, but people don't like having to be there."

He calls The Mews "the developer's dream of a lifetime, to be able to do something of this quality." The 345,000 square feet of retail space will include fine restaurants, "exclusive" retail stores, sidewalk cafes and a theater designed like none other, Callaway said.

Each building is unique but will have common themes and colors. All face each other so that the impression is given of "a little town of yesteryear." Peachtree City has not had a well-defined "city center," and Callaway says he hopes The Mews can provide that identity and "sense of place."

Because the adjoining land has been acquired and the project redesigned, Callaway explained, he can now "dedicate a five-acre park across from McIntosh High School, and substantially increase the buffer area along the Southern Trace residential area." The actual store space is only slightly larger than the 330,000 square feet which would be allowed on just the 33-acre tract at the present zoning.

The site will reorient traffic to come in from Hwy. 54, according to Callaway, which will lessen the impact on Walt Banks road, which leads into residential areas. The main entrance will utilize the traffic light across from Publix, he said.

The word "mews" originally was associated with the estates of British royalty, Callaway said, and has come to mean a cluster of buildings of different uses that are reached by walking. Callaway says he envisions The Mews as an area for community events such as sidewalk fairs, music and Christmas caroling and arts festivals. Few projects in the country could match the atmosphere, he said, except possibly the Williamsburg, Va., old-town area. Atlanta's Vinings Jubilee has "something of the flavor, but this will be even better," Callaway said. His company has identified upscale tenants like The Gap and Barnes & Noble, but has no firm commitments yet, he added.

The architect's drawing for the site shows a movie theater, a French restaurant and two buildings with "Barnes & Noble" and "GAP" pencilled in on the marquees.

"We are hoping to get this specific plan and rezoning approved," Callaway said. "Development is a second career for me, and I've found that there is really nothing wrong with development - what's wrong is the way it's done. This will be so aesthetically pleasing that residents of Peachtree City would enjoy meeting others for visits to stores or restaurants."