On Thursday evening, Jan. 7, the City Council of Peachtree City will vote on the "Mews at Peachtree City" project proposed for the intersection of Ga. Highway 54 and Walt Banks Road.

The decision the city council makes that evening will decide how the undeveloped property at this intersection will be developed. Regardless of what the Master Land Use Plan indicates, 33 acres at this intersection is already zoned for a major commercial complex of retail and office. The choice is between a project designed according to the current zoning and between the Mews proposal. It is the last time the city council will ever be able to vote on the manner in which this property, which is located at one of the key entrances to Peachtree City, is developed.

The 33-acre tract across from Holy Trinity Catholic Church and McIntosh High School is currently zoned for a major commercial project, with 15.5 acres designated for shopping center/retail and 11.3 acres directly across from the high school designated for office. There are no overall size constraints on what can be built on this property under current zoning conditions: the only restriction is that any one tenant cannot exceed 32,000 square feet in size.

With Peachtree City's current parking ratio, it would be possible to build a 405,000 square foot project on this property, or half the size of Fayetteville Pavilion. With parking decks the square footage of the project could be substantially larger.

Because the current zoning allows for no ingress/egress off Hwy. 54, 100 percent of the traffic generated by this project must enter and exit on Walt Banks Road. The buffer along Walt Banks Road and the rear of the property along Southern Trace subdivision is a mere 50 feet, according to current zoning, and there are virtually no use restrictions as to the types of businesses that can locate on this property bowling alleys, video arcades, movie theaters, auto service and sales all may located on the property so long as no single tenant is greater than 32,000 square feet.

The Mews development was created as an alternative to the current zoning. Basically the Mews project is a pedestrian-oriented retail village catering to upscale retailers. The types of tenants who have expressed an interest in the Mews project include Ann Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Banana Republic, Gap, Zany Brainy, Victoria's Secret, Jos. A. Bank, Parisians, and many others.

The design of the project is similar to that of a main street with buildings facing buildings, and the interest already received from fine restaurants guarantees that the project will have a very strong pedestrian, streetscape feel evoking comparisons with Colonial Williamsburg or Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. Because of the exclusivity of the proposed development and the proximity to the high school, the developer even has offered to dedicate five acres for the creation of a cultural/fine arts center should Peachtree City elect to do so.

The Mews development places a limit on how large a project is built at this intersection, and the overall size is less than what can be constructed under the current zoning. Additionally, the Mews project is designed so as to get access to the traffic signal in front of Publix on Hwy. 54, and orient the traffic away from Walt Banks Road. Traffic studies indicate that only 15 percent of the traffic coning to the Mews development will be approaching from Peachtree Parkway and Walt Banks Road, and undoubtedly the vast majority of this traffic will be those who reside in subdivisions behind the project.

The Mews development incorporates a 250-foot buffer to the rear of the site or an aggregate of 13 acres to protect the high school and the subdivision on Walt Banks Road, and it eliminates the office park entirely from in front of the high school and the access point that would have to be located across from the high school to service it.

With its concern for quality, the Mews project incorporates a long list of architectural standards and specifically restricts discount stores such as Lowes, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Target, and Kmart along with automobile sales and service and fast-food restaurants. It's no wonder that [city planning director Jim] Williams in his report to the planning commission has referred to the Mews proposal with words like "excellent," "Magnificent," the "best in the entire Atlanta area," and "the best site plan we will ever see for the area."

No change in the Master Land Use Plan is necessary for the start of construction of a retail/office complex at the intersection of Hwy. 54 and Walt Banks Road, and the development of the property is imminent. Within a period of seven months or so the intersection will be under construction, and the choice is not between development and no development, but exactly how the property should and will be developed. This is the choice the city council will have to make Thursday evening.

The Mews project incorporates great controls over how this property is developed, providing an exclusive shopping area for the enjoyment of people living in every part of Peachtree City. The current zoning provides almost no controls over size, quality, or use.

Some of those who oppose the Mews project believe that the current zoning conditions on the property are what have prevented the development of the property in prior years. They have overlooked the fact that another force has been at work that has prevented development: the high price the sellers have placed on the land hoping that a project like the Mews, capable of paying high land costs, would come along.

If the sellers begin to drop their land price, low-end development will be enticed onto the property. Such users do not require good visibility or access from major highways. If the Mews development is denied, we question how those who have gone on record as insisting on maintaining the current zoning will be able to mount a credible defense against undesirable businesses which may want to locate on the property in the future when they know very well that there are no quality or use restrictions under the current zoning. It seems to us that they are publicly and knowingly disarming themselves.

The property is situated at a key entrance to Peachtree City, and the stakes are high and will effect everyone in Peachtree City. Therefore, it is important to voice your opinions in this matter to the city council, either prior to or during the meeting on Thursday evening.

John W. Callaway, Ph.D.
President
Callaway Land Co.