I would like to thank the Peachtree City Planning Commission members for showing the people of the city that we matter. They made a very difficult decision in spite of being threatened by RAM Development's attorney.

They denied a conceptual site plan for a Home Depot store to be located on Ga. Highway 54 in Peachtree City, a location that is already over-congested. The primary reason for denying this was traffic, but also to protect the health, safety and welfare of all local residents.

Many business owners who would be negatively impacted by the building of the “Big Box” store and the traffic problems it would create also attended to express their opposition.

I listened to the traffic studies done for the city by Dames and Moore. They sounded like RAM and Home Depot hired them. All the traffic improvements they suggested were to benefit Home Depot, and no one else. The two most harmful changes would be to eliminate the stop light at Huddleston Road, cutting off the businesses there and adding a stoplight at the entrance of the Planterra Ridge subdivision, which would cause a lot of additional cut-through traffic through the neighborhood.

Employees of the industrial park that are prohibited from a left turn at Huddleston would then cut through Planterra Ridge using the stop light at Planterra Way. Most of the shift changes occur at 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., the same time that school children are getting on and off the buses.

Most of the so-called improvements were based on speculation and have not been presented to or approved by the Department of Transportation (D.O.T.). With the Clean Air Act still in effect until who knows when, how could RAM and Home Depot expect an approval of their plan before improvements could be made? There should be no new development until the traffic problems are solved.

A concerned residents group presented a petition against Home Depot with over 800 signatures; these signatures were acquired in less than five days. This should show Home Depot that they are not wanted here. I'm sure there are many other Peachtree City residents that will be glad to sign this petition. Does Home Depot have any signatures of Peachtree City residents that want them to come?

Not once in the whole evening, during the site plan proposal, the traffic presentation, the landscape plan, or even during the threat of an appeal or hint of a lawsuit, did I hear anyone from RAM or Home Depot say a word about how this development would benefit Peachtree City. The only ones who will benefit from this sale and development will be the landowners, the developer and Home Depot.

The landowners were present Monday night; why didn't they stand up and offer us a different view? Sure, they have every right to be able to sell their property, but not at the expense of the people and businesses in the surrounding area. They can rest assured another buyer will come along willing to pay their price, someone that will fit in Peachtree City.

The conceptual site plan shows an additional unnamed large box store, but developers and City staff denied that it represented a Wal-Mart Super Center. The previous site plan listed Wal-Mart as the store but conveniently removed it after the first meeting. What else would it be?

These large stores are neither wanted or needed here. It makes me wonder why Home Depot wants to come to a city where the residents are so overwhelmingly opposed to it. On Home Depot's website, they talk about being a good neighbor — good neighbors don't hurt each other. That's what they would do by coming here.

They mention “environmental responsibility” — is it responsible to worsen an already difficult traffic problem or to disturb environmental wetlands just to make a profit?

There is still a lot of work to do to stop this project. Call or write Home Depot; tell them not to come. Call your city council members and tell them you object to it. Watch the local cable channel for the agenda of upcoming city council meetings. Given the attorneys' and RAM Development's comments at the Planning Commission meeting, it's a sure bet they will appeal this decision to the city council. We need to continue to pack city hall during these meetings and show everyone that the large corporations that want to push their way into our city cannot bully us.

It's time for the city council to stand up to these bullies and protect the citizens of Peachtree City. The decision they make will affect the whole city. If this passes, what will someone want to build next near your neighborhood? Will Peachtree City become another traffic-clogged city?

Sharon McFarland

Peachtree City

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