The Peachtree City Planning Commission has expressed concern about two different site plans filed with the city that show large big box retail stores in the works.

At its Jan. 8 meeting, the commission heard about plans to locate a Lowe’s Home Improvement and a Kohl’s department store on the south side of Ga. Highway 54 west of the Planterra Ridge subdivision, and two more unnamed big box stores off Ga. Highway 74 south across from the Wilshire Pavilion shopping center.

There were some concerns on the commission’s part that the plans were introduced prematurely. But City Planner David Rast said the intent was merely to inform the commission and the public that the plans had been submitted to the city.

The plans were discussed in a workshop format meaning no official vote was required; the city has used these workshops as a way to give developers feedback on how site plans can be improved before a vote is taken.

“My biggest fear is that we are inherently endorsing a plan that deep down we feel like it doesn’t hold water,” said Planning Commissioner Patrick Staples.

Staples said he thought the commission should first require the developer to convince them why a big box would be appropriate before the commission formally considers the plan. Commissioner Marty Mullin said he agreed, but at the same time the city can’t hope that such developments go away entirely.

“My experience is it never goes away,” Mullin said, noting that the city had to change its big box ordinance to allow large retail stores to be built if they get a special permit from the City Council. Under the ordinance, the City Council is not required to approve the permit even if the developer can prove the stores will have little or no negative impact.

“There comes a point in time when the planning commission needs to take a step back and decide whether or not this is something we need to consider,” Rast suggested, noting that reviewing big box plans is a very “time consuming” process.

For example, Capital City Development recently submitted a new version of its plan for the Lowe’s and Kohl’s stores, and reviewing that plan will take some time, Rast said. He commended Capital City, however, for agreeing to meet with residents in the area to try and hammer out accommodations for their concerns.

Also, another retail development planned further along on Hwy. 54 is complicated by a request from the developer to swap land with the city so the stores can have more frontage on Hwy. 54 in exchange for giving the city the northern portion of the lake at the Line Creek Nature Area, which is now owned by the development company, Flexxon.

“The look and feel of that side of 54 is going to change dramatically,” Rast said.

Rast noted that the result of the suit filed over the big box Target store brought some results that were less than desirable from a planning perspective.

“Some of the things that occurred to settle that litigation were absurd,” Rast said.

The developer of the big box stores proposed for Hwy. 74 south is seeking a limited use commercial rezoning to circumvent the big box regulations, but it is unclear if that route will ultimately be approved by the city council.

Under the big box regulations, developers who apply for the necessary special use permit must file a detailed application that includes a traffic study of the area before the matter can be considered by council.