For the fourth time in the last three years, the Coweta County Board of Commissioners turned down a request for a shopping center near the intersection of Ga. Highway 34 and Fischer Road. The location is about a quarter-mile west of the city limits of Peachtree City and near the intersection with Ga. Highway 54.

On Tuesday afternoon, the board voted unanimously to deny a rezoning request by Billy Cranford to rezone 25.61 acres owned by Janet Baggarly from rural reserve to commercial-major shopping district. The property sits in Commissioner Charlie Jones' district and he made it quite clear why he was opposed to the shopping center.

"I have stated in 1996, 1997, 1998 and now that I'm opposed to any commercial shopping centers at that location until a contract is signed to build a four lane road," Jones said.

Cranford was seeking to build a shopping center featuring a 44,000-square feet grocery store, 12,000-square feet of retail stores and 30,000 square feet of local shops. The center was projected to have 5,396 vehicle trips on Saturday, 2,644 trips on Sunday and 4,170 trips each weekday.

In its report to the commission on the property, the planning department had recommended approving the rezoning. Planning Director Robert Tolleson said the county's comprehensive land map denotes 40 percent of the land in the area should be used for office, professional and light commercial uses.