Peachtree City Mayor Box Lenox read a statement during the Jan. 21 city council meeting that explained the council's reasoning behind its denial of rezoning for an upscale shopping center--The Mews--at the corner of Ga. Highway 54 and Walt Banks Road. Here is that statement in its entirety:

At our last Council meeting on Jan. 7, we held a public hearing concerning the rezoning of a 53-acre tract at Walt Banks and Ga. Highway 54. The hearing ended at about 10:45 p.m. and, under a Peachtree City ordinance which precludes Council from voting on any agenda item after 11 p.m., a vote was taken which denied the rezoning. There was no opportunity for council to meaningfully discuss the issue or assess the pros and cons of the proposed rezoning.

Prior to the meeting on Jan. 7, both Council and interested members of the public had already spent considerable time reviewing the relevant factors. Since the meeting, substantially more time, including three meetings with residents of the adjacent neighborhood, has led to a thorough and dispassionate review of the facts.

We, the adjacent residents and several members of council, discussed six significant criteria and measured the development as proposed against possible alternative developments. The criteria area;

1. Neighborhood buffering.

2. Traffic consequences.

3. Land Use Plan considerations.

4. Financial impact.

5. Job creation/labor availability.

6. Peachtree City's uniqueness.

Our findings relative to each of these considerations were as follows:

1. Buffering

The immediate neighborhood would be better buffered, relative to sight and noise, by the Mews project as opposed to the much less intense retail/commercial and office development permitted by the current zoning on the Lassiter tract. The considered opinion of the neighbors, however, is that on balance they would prefer development of the Lassiter tract under the existing zoning and would prefer residential development on the Heard tract, even if it is more dense than R-43 because of the overall impact on their quality of life. Additionally, it is felt by all that development under the existing zoning would best preserve the Hwy. 54 streetscape and rural "entry feel" to Peachtree City.

2. Traffic Consequences

The Mews can only be regarded as a development of high traffic impact with a regional customer base and draw. Development under the existing zoning would create a lower impact retail center with local customers and an office complex drawing employees from the city and its immediate environs. After considerable research, it is my opinion that this would create somewhere between 30 and 40 percent of the traffic which the Mews would generate. It is further my opinion that road improvements to Walt Banks and its intersections with Peachtree Parkway and Hwy. 54 can be planned and made in a timely manner to not only prevent degradation of their performance but perhaps to actually improve it based on the existing zoning. The Mews, however, would beyond question degrade Hwy. 54 as a transportation corridor, would degrade the Parkway and Hwy. 54 intersections, and would most likely put an intolerable burden on Peachtree Parkway itself.

3. Land Use Plan Considerations

The Peachtree City land use Plan always contemplated residential for this area. We all know the history of the Lassiter tract and its current zoning. We feel that approval of the Mews would put intense pressure on the undeveloped land on Hwy. 54 between the Mews and the eastern limits of Peachtree City for commercial zoning. Additionally, county land on Hwy. 54 east of Peachtree City would also be placed at risk. This is not acceptable. It is my opinion that this council intends to resist to the limits of its ability any commercial rezoning on Hwy. 54, either inside or outside of the city. At the same time, I feel Council recognizes the nature of the area and would consider higher residential densities than R-43 for the land area inside the city, particularly if the relevant landowners act as a cohesive group and present an integrated overall plan.

4. Financial Impacts

Total government income from the Mews would be approximately as follows:

PPT-Land/Buildings $550,000

PPT-Inventory $200,000

L.O.S.T.-1% $1,000,000

Total Annual Income $1,750,000

Alternative development of the Lassiter tract under the existing zoning and the Heard tract as more dense residential is projected to look as follows:

PPT-Land/Buildings $325,000

PPT-Inventory $50,000

L.O.S.T.-1% $100,000

Total Annual Income $475,000

Clearly, the tax revenue generation is in favor of building the Mews, by something like $1,250,000 per year. This would certainly lighten the tax load on city and county citizens. However, we did not try to assess the increase in costs of services or the long term city road improvements that would be necessary due to the magnitude of the Mews, nor did we attempt to assign a negative value to increased traffic problems and delays.

5. Job Creation/Labor Availability

We considered that the Mews would create a large number of jobs, mostly low-end and low paying, but convenient and accessible to our residents, both full-time and part-time. Conversely, we also considered the low unemployment levels in Fayette County and the difficulty other retail and service establishments have in finding adequate help. On balance, we would foresee a serious shortage of local labor availability and considerable difficulty for both the Mews and the existing retail community in finding sufficient numbers of employees.

6. Peachtree City's Uniqueness

Peachtree City marches to a different set of collective values than most places. We seem to want to truly be a "city," but at the same time we don't want the congestion, density and life style that most of us associate with the word "city." Some things we want to be accessible - but not in our midst. We support our industrial park because it's carefully separated from most of our daily lives. We welcome the tax base, the local jobs, and the industries' contributions in many varied ways - but mostly it's out of sight and out of mind. We welcome our neighborhood shopping centers and the convenient access to the necessities of life. The majority of us, however, do not wish to become a regional shopping mecca. We distinctly prefer our local shopping opportunities to be geared to our local market and our local needs. When we seek more, we are willing to go to it - but we don't want to contend with it day in and day out, even though we recognize that there may be financial penalties associated with this attitude.