City officials met with members of the traffic task force recently to discuss the upcoming city council vote on the Home Depot/Super Wal-Mart big boxes. If what was said in that meeting is any indication, we can look for the developer winning out again when the appeal is heard before city council Dec. 16.

Mayor Lenox raised the white flag of surrender, saying we are “legally compelled” to give in to RAM Development's request to build this monstrosity. According to the mayor, “either we will control the situation, or it will control us.”

Does the mayor feel that letting RAM do as they please is the way to “control the situation?” Sounds to me as if the developer is controlling the situation, and we are merely along for the ride. Isn't that a familiar tune, the developer calling the shots?

One traffic task force member said that “commuters can expect a lot of pain” since it will be at least six years before Ga. Highway 54 can be widened. Considering the usual pace of anything our government does, I would expect that project to take much longer than that. But is the number one concern here merely problems with commuting? It seems to me the number one concern, the one our city officials should be most concerned about, is the fact that emergency vehicles will be delayed in responding to our residents due to the added traffic in this already congested area.

More traffic accidents will occur, and more of our residents could be injured or killed. I ask our mayor and council, What's more important, the “right” of a developer to make the largest possible profit or our citizens' lives?

The way I see it, our mayor and city council should be compelled to do one thing, that is to live up to their pledge to protect our citizens' safety and welfare. Sure, developers and their legal mouthpieces will threaten us with lawsuits whenever they can't do exactly as they please, but should that really matter?

I see them being much like a spoiled little brat who can't do what they want to do so they throw a tantrum. Let them threaten and whine, but don't just give in to them. Give in once, the tantrums occur more frequently; stand up to them and they learn that they must do things our way.

Steve Fodor

Peachtree City

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