Many of us who attended the Planning Commission meeting on Jan. 8 did not like what we heard. On two proposals to add more “big box” stores in our city, phrases like “compromise with the developer” and “make the project work” were used by some commissioners.

It is well beyond time to stop compromising our city’s ordinances and rendering our Comprehensive Plan nothing more than a worthless piece of paper. Somehow the developers have been given the ability to drop almost any plan they wish, regardless of our standards and ordinances, and we are expected to comply.

Clear-cutting preserved city-owned land to accommodate big box development should not be tolerated. The city, its council and its commissions have an obligation to defend the ordinances, Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Plan of [our] city. We must not compromise our standards and the character of our community.

We just added some valuable capacity to Ga. Highway 54 West, after a decade of begging for state funds, to counter the excessive gridlock of the previous years. It will be a long time before we have any funds to make further improvements.

I am greatly disappointed when our officials do not know the historical context of the land use in our community. It is also disappointing when they do not have a clear understanding of our ordinances and our planning tools.

We do not bend until we break in order to compromise for development which degrades our community. Instead, we should demand that our standards be met or they can go build in another county where such rubbish is allowed. Being a unique community with high standards protects our property values and our quality of life. Let us avoid ruining our city by committing “political prostitution” and making valuable trade-offs in exchange for tax dollars.

The city’s ordinance number 875 (also known as the “big box ordinance”) won overwhelming support from the citizens and the prior city councils and planning commissions. Why are our current officials so willing to disregard the protections the citizens demanded?

The rationale we are given for the ultra-high housing densities of the proposed Westside Village annexations is the cost of the bridge at North Kedron. The only problem is no one knows the cost of the bridge, so we just let the developers come up with big unit numbers and we take their word for it.

How are we going to provide public services for the extraordinarily high density without raising taxes? No one has an answer. It might cost us less in the long run if the city pays for a portion of the bridge in lieu of a paying extended service costs for the higher density.

In order for any more big box-type stores to be developed in our city, the City Council has to grant an exception to our Big Box Ordinance. Below is a resolution in defense of our city’s ordinance number 875 and our Comprehensive Plan. I would like to see the City Council and the Planning Commission vote on the resolution and cease all the talk of compromising our standards.

RESOLUTION AGAINST EXCEPTION TO THE ORDINANCE 875

WHEREAS, the City of Peachtree City Ordinance 875 discourages the encroachment of commercial uses capable of adversely affecting the basic commercial character of commercial business districts; and

WHEREAS, the City of Peachtree City Ordinance 875 discourages commercial development that significantly increases traffic congestion and “strip” type development; and

WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Peachtree City found that based upon studies conducted on behalf of the City and by other cities, big box developments, typically over 32,000 square feet for an individual business, and development with over 150,000 square feet of retail space, can have negative impacts on a community; and

WHEREAS, big box development can have a negative impact on the scale of retail businesses in the City, and can also adversely impact existing retail business in the City; and

WHEREAS, big box development can result in an over-supply of commercial development within the City, thereby shifting the economic focus of the community; and

WHEREAS, employment opportunities may also be adversely affected by big box development; and

WHEREAS, the City of Peachtree City Ordinance 875 recognizes that big box developments are contrary to the City’s Comprehensive Plan, as well as the goals and objectives of providing public safety services to the City’s residents; and

WHEREAS, big box developments place an additional burden on law enforcement budgets; and

WHEREAS, the West Georgia Regional Outlook-2006 prepared by the Department of Economics, Richards College of Business at the University of West Georgia states neighboring Coweta County issued a record number of housing permits in 2005 and 2006 further debilitating our future road capacity on State Route 54; and

WHEREAS, big box developments will attract large volumes of traffic from Coweta County and beyond; and

WHEREAS, additional big box developments on State Route 54 will cause a significant decline in the highway’s level of service as was witnessed with the implementation of the Wal-Mart and Home Depot developments; and

WHEREAS, the intersection of State Routes 74 and 54 is not programmed for major improvement until the year 2020, and the Georgia Department of Transportation is claiming a $6 billion funding deficit for road projects; and

WHEREAS, a significantly large number of citizens of the City of Peachtree City implored the Mayor and Council to adopt the “Big Box Ordinance” number 875;

THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED, that the Planning Commission of the City of Peachtree City requests that the City Council of the City of Peachtree City protect the character of the City, protect the road infrastructure capacity and promote a stable environment consistent with the City’s Comprehensive Plan by not pursuing an exception to City Ordinance 875 for big box development on State Route 54-West or State Route 74.

Steve Brown
Peachtree City, Ga.

Brown served four years as Peachtree City’s mayor before being defeated for reelection in 2005 by current Mayor Harold Logsdon.