Peachtree City’s parking regulations pertaining to new developments have been overhauled and will be considered for adoption by the CIty Council Thursday night.

The new ordinance breaks down minimum parking requirements based on the specific use of a particular building and the building’s size. For example:

• Restaurants must have at least one parking space for each 100 square feet of floor area plus any outdoor dining area;

• Churches must have one space for every three seats in the main assembly room;

• Retail stores must have one space for every 300 square feet of floor area, but some such as banks, discount stores and shopping centers must have one space for every 250 square feet of floor area; and

• A nightclub or bar must have one space for every 100 square feet of floor area.

The ordinance would also require developers to give an extra foot of width to parking spaces adjacent to a landscaped median.

Also, a separate proposal from staff would require developers wanting extra parking to use pervious paving — so water can seep into the ground instead of the stormwater drainage system — for 70 percent of the parking spaces above the city’s minimum number of parking spaces.

In other business, council is expected to adopt an amendment to the landscaping ordinance that would require a tree survey to be conducted at the site of any new development. If any vegetation is removed without permission of city officials, the owner of the property will be required to replace it with similar size vegetation in the tree save and landscape buffer for the property.

The only waiver of this requirement will be for an “act of God” such as an ice storm, insect infestation, hurricane or similar event, although the property owner would be “encouraged” to replace the damaged vegetation, the draft ordinance states.

Council is also expected to vote on the final change order for the expansion of the Peachtree City Library. Most of the $31,761 increase was due to the removal and replacement of “unsuitable soils” on the lower driveway to provide a suitable base for the pavement. That single change added $20,648 to the cost, but that will still leave $33,305 in the contingency fund for the project.

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