Wednesday, November 17, 1999
Home Depot, Wal-Mart, stay away from PTC

Why Home Depot or Wal-Mart want to come to Peachtree City is beyond me.

We have one within 15 minutes or less in both Newnan and Fayetteville. The reason why the majority of Peachtree City homeowners moved to here was to get away from the big super shopping centers and the traffic troubles they create.

I applaud the mayor and the city council for creating a traffic ordinance to protect the city from the traffic problems the developers wish to cause. They (RAM Development and Home Depot) want to push their weight around and demand to be here even though the residents object to it.

One small city the size of Peachtree City cannot support these super stores. Have they thought about how these stores are going to be staffed? I doubt it. As I understand it, the new restaurants are having trouble finding enough staff. That means more traffic from employees living outside Peachtree City who need to drive here to work.

The quality of life in Peachtree City, which we hold so dear, is being corrupted by the greed of the landowners that want to sell to the first high bidder without the considering the consequences to the city and its residents.

The city council should require the developers to find suitable tenants for the land that will enhance the quality and fit the scale of Peachtree City. Home Depot and Wal-Mart do not!

I would gladly opt for a little inconvenience and drive to Home Depot or Wal-Mart in Newnan or Fayetteville, than to have them destroy our beautiful city, the city we all moved here to enjoy.

Traffic and safety issues alone should keep this development from being approved. The city council has the right to approve or deny development and should not be forced to let this pass because of the threat of a lawsuit. There have been other developments that have been set aside because they did not fit the lifestyle of the city, or because it had a direct negative effect on the residents around it.

You have a voice; call the mayor, the city council members and let them hear your opinions. Don't let these big corporations come in and ruin what we have. Write or call Home Depot, tell them not to come, threaten to boycott if they do come. Let them know that they are not welcome in our city.

The residents of Peachtree City need to work together to keep Peachtree City what we came here for. Get involved, go to the city council and planning commission meetings, (the next planning commission meeting will be held on Monday, Nov. 22, 7 p.m. at City Hall), let them know that you will not stand for Peachtree City to be turned into another traffic consumed city.

Sharon McFarland
Peachtree City


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