The City Council is continuing to hold fast against any annexation into Peachtree City — sort of.

With a unanimous vote last week to continue the annexation moratorium and make it an ordinance, a lengthy discussion ensued concerning the one area where the city could hedge a bit, which is the West Village.

Actually, the moratorium, which has been in effect since 1991, was rescinded earlier this year with respect to that area, which is landlocked by Peachtree City, Tyrone and Coweta County. This was to give land owners there the opportunity to consult with city staff if they had annexation-related questions, according to Mayor Bob Lenox, and none of them did.

Jerry Peterson of Pathway Communities asked that the council take no action concerning the west side, because it has taken all this time to get an agreement in place with all of the property owners in that area.

Peterson specifically referred to the 900 acres north of Cedar Croft and Wynnmeade and west of the railroad tracks. He noted that 200 acres of that land is already in the city and zoned industrial.

The land owners have determined how they will share in the costs of such things as traffic studies and wetland studies, and they are ready to get started.

If they are unable to act while working together, Peterson said, then it will be much more difficult to get such projects as bridges and collector roads done with each property owner looking at his or her own access to and from a parcel.

Mayor Pro Tempore Annie McMenamin questioned the timing of this sudden show of solidarity, comparing it to the Wal-Mart/Home Depot plan that appeared out of nowhere when discussions began concerning the city's new traffic ordinance.

Planterra Ridge resident Steve Brown said that if the city annexes property on its borders just because it does not like the way it looks or could be developed, then annexations will occur in every direction indefinitely. Brown suggested looking into how Tyrone and the county are looking at the West Village, adding that he is “very much in favor of a moratorium on the west side of [Ga. Highway] 54.”

Lenox said that the council has been clear over the years that it is not interested in annexation except for minor housekeeping matters, and the only major area considered has been the west side because of its geography.

“We're not growing like an amoeba,” said Lenox. “We're done.”

The mayor also pointed out that the council can say yes or no to any annexation, and that developers cannot sue the city just because it denies an annexation request. The moratorium's main purpose was so city staff isn't bothered by annexation inquiries on an ongoing basis.

Councilman Robert Brooks suggested having annexation issues come straight to the council first, rather than through staff. He said that there is no need for a developer's plans to get far along just so the council can deny them later, and this could be avoided if petitioners are encouraged to come to council first and talk about it “in raw form,” as he put it.

Brooks added that the moratorium exists solely at the pleasure of the council, and the city is going to be affected by what happens in the West Village no matter what. “If there is a fire there, our department is going to respond,” he said.

Councilman Jim Pace said that he would prefer that the West Village be controlled by Peachtree City rather than Tyrone or the county.

Lenox pointed out that city staff is comprised of experts who have often helped developers make plans that are good for the city. He added that the real question in each council member's mind concerning the West Village is: “How many houses?”

McMenamin moved to approve the moratorium ordinance, Brooks seconded, and it passed with a 5-0 vote.

City attorney Rick Lindsey noted that the move would codify the city's existing policy and make it easier to handle in the future from a staff standpoint. It is being added to section 704 of the Zoning Code.)

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