Peachtree City was a showcase for a statewide audience Tuesday as the Governor's Green Space Committee visited City Hall for its regular meeting, which included a golf cart tour of town.

The all-day meeting was highlighted by a presentation from city officials, who discussed the ways that they believe Peachtree City's use of undisturbed open space has enhanced the community.

Mayor Bob Lenox said that a friend told him a few months ago, after seeing the city and its layout, “You've got a lot of room to grow.” Lenox responded, “No, we don't.”

The city is now about 90 percent developed, Lenox told the committee, and the large areas that some might assume will eventually be filled with houses or commercial development are going to stay green for a long time.

Lenox said that he considers the best green space to be found in neighborhoods, pointing out that nearly all of Peachtree City's homes are near such an area.

About 30 percent of the land in the city is devoted to open space, according to development director Jim Williams. Any subdivision or commercial development that goes on the drawing board is designed to work within the green space network, he said, and very few subdivisions back right up against each other without any open space between.

Williams pointed out how the city's two major creek basins, Line Creek and Flat Creek, have been used for the creation of nature preserves that are overseen by the Southern Conservation Trust, which he called one of the largest organizations of its kind in the Southeastern United States.

The 70-mile network of cart paths makes virtually any part of the city accessible from any home, Williams said, citing a recent survey that said 98 percent of the residents consider the cart paths a top transportation priority within the city.

Many people tell Williams that the things done in Peachtree City were possible only because it was done from the beginning, and they cannot be duplicated in existing cities. “That's not true. You don't have to start from scratch,” he answered.

Property values in the residential areas of the city validate the economics of these policies concerning green spaces, Williams asserted.

A committee member asked if all employees who work in Peachtree City can live there as well, and both Lenox and Williams said they can, pointing out that there is housing in every price range.

Williams cited the fact that he has lived in the city for many years while being a city employee, and Lenox said that many of the people who work for his company live in Peachtree City also.

Police chief Jim Murray addressed the group briefly about the peculiarities of preserving public safety in such a unique place as Peachtree City.

He said that, while they are often secluded and hard to see, the cart paths rarely see much criminal activity. Also, because of the nature of their layout, people from other areas who commit crimes in there often have a difficult time getting away without being caught because of their unfamiliarity with the surroundings.

Murray mentioned the ongoing bike patrols and golf cart patrols that are done in the city, and said officers have even patrolled the paths on rollerblades along with the city's 6,800 registered golf carts.

Citing a recent Atlanta magazine article that says Peachtree City has an exceptionally low crime rate, Murray also pointed out that his force has a relatively low number of officers per capita.

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