By MONROE ROARK
Staff Writer

Peachtree City is looking at a major expansion and renovation project to meet expected administrative facility needs through buildout, and it could begin this week.

The City Council has been advised by its staff to adopt a facilities plan that includes the construction of a new police station along with renovation of City Hall and the Public Works building. The plan was to be considered at last night's council meeting.

The $2.1 million plan is one of three options discussed at last winter's city retreat. Other possible plans include the expansion of the Public Works building, which would allow a reconfiguration of City Hall and the existing police station, or adding 8,000 square feet to the northern end of the City Hall/police complex. The Peachtree City Police Department is now headquartered in the lower level of City Hall.

Under the plan being recommended, a new 14,000-sq. ft. police station would be built on a 5.5-acre site between Ga. Highway 74 and the Flat Creek wastewater treatment plant. That property was purchased using funds from the fiscal 1999 budget and the cost of the land is not included in the estimated cost of the new facility.

This move would allow the Building Department, Planning and Engineering to move downstairs into the current police offices, after minor reconfiguration of City Hall and the Public Works building. City officials expect this move to meet the space needs of every department, while keeping a consolidated Developmental Services in a location readily accessible to City Hall staff. The Building Department is currently on McIntosh Trail next to Public Works.

The first option considered — expanding the Public Works building — was seen as only a temporary solution, with the Police Department still looking at a future space problem requiring either reconstruction of its present facility or the addition of a satellite precinct office. The Police Department prefers a single, centralized office.

The possible relocation of Developmental Services to another facility also was deemed a disadvantage due to lost access to City Hall.

The second option was rejected because the city believes it does not adequately address parking issues. Adding the Building Department staff to the City Hall site without removing the Police Department would worsen an already strained parking situation. Adding parking spaces at Picnic Park, behind the police station, would reduce that facility's recreational amenities as well as its status as a buffer between various developments.

City staff has recommended that the Georgia Municipal Association Bricks and Mortar Lease Program be used to finance the facilities project.

The entire estimated cost under this plan is $2.14 million, including underwriting and legal fees. This would amount to about $210,000 per year for a 15-year lease.

The other financing option explored by the city, general obligation bonds, came out at a slightly higher total — $2.2 million for the project, or $212,000 in annual debt service.

The main difference between the two plans is that the bonds would require a referendum, while the GMA program would not require voter approval. This would allow the city to move forward more quickly, provided the facilities plan is approved.

“Based on the fact that many of the city's administrative facilities are already cramped and overcrowded, the sooner this project can move forward the better,” according to the staff's written proposal.

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