There's no doubt that Fayette County teens would appreciate a safe place to "hang out" on weekends, the Peachtree City Council was told at its retreat, but a teen center for the city or county is still only a possibility.

Nick Harris of the city's Commission on Children and Youth told the council that "the attendance was not there" when CCY conducted meetings and forums for teens and parents on the subject of a teen center. The commission did, however, receive back 1100 of 2000 surveys sent out, with 77 percent favoring a "place to go on weekends," he said.

As the commission continues trying to find a way to accommodate the teens, he said, the best plan at the moment appears to be supporting a YMCA effort and a private enterprise location, possible in Braelinn Village Center. He noted that the Fayette Family YMCA is working on a multi-purpose facility at Family Fun Park on Huiet Road, which would have some space and times designated for teen activities. Also, Richard Thompson, a former commission member, is exploring the idea of a commercial "Jitterbug" club for teens, with varied activities and adult supervision.

Bernice Wassell, who is coordinator for CCY on the city recreation staff, says "there's no doubt that the teenagers need a place, and most of them say they are willing to pay a membership fee, but at this point we are just not sure how to pay for creating a facility, nor how to make it self-sufficient." She said that if the city or county funded a teen center, "we would have to be accountable to the taxpayers for the money that went into it, and it would need to have an educational and crime-prevention function as well as being a place where the kids could socialize."