Fayette Countians have had time to comment on a mixed-use development on Ga. Highway 74 in Fairburn, but the Atlanta Regional Commission has not yet determined whether the project is "in the best interest" of the area, ARC review coordinator Beverly Rhea says.

Fairburn planners and city officials have been working with developer Jay Knight and the ARC on the proposal for several months, according to Fairburn Mayor Betty Hannah. An initial review of the plan, called a DRI (development of regional impact) because of its 180-acre size, showed the ARC thought the city's information was complete, but later the regional commission asked for traffic, air quality and other information, said zoning administrator Christina Lee.

The ARC notified Fairburn in October that all information was okay for review, and that the data would be sent to neighboring jurisdictions for comment, Lee continued. During the comment period, Rhea said, ARC received written opinions from Peachtree City, Tyrone, the Fayette County Commission, MARTA, Fulton County Schools and others.

"All of the Fayette County opinions I've seen are negative," Hannah said. "But I think that more traffic will be generated on Hwy. 74 by the two new housing developments in Tyrone."

She referred to a 262-home John Wieland "planned unit development" and another subdivision still on the drawing boards, which so far have not be subject to review by other jurisdictions.

The Jay Knight development in Fairburn will include 280 single-family homes, 208 apartments and 13 acres of commercial-industrial uses. The single-family residences are farthest from the highway, with green buffers separating the various uses. Hannah said the land will have sewerage by connecting with a nearby Fulton County sewer system line. The Knight property was annexed to Fairburn in 1997.

Rhea explained that the Knight development qualifies as a DRI because it is a mixed-use development covering more than 150 acres. While the ARC findings are only advisory, the staff analysis and "best interest" determination are considered valuable to a city's future plans and rapport with its neighbors, Lee said.

Peachtree City Mayor Bob Lenox wrote ARC about concerns over traffic snarls at I-85 and Hwy. 74, and the "potential negative impact it (the development) will have on the overall quality of the Line Creek watershed, the source of much of our drinking water."