“You cannot expect this property to sit full of trees forever; that is just unrealistic,” said Mr. Rick Lindsey, former PTC attorney and now attorney for Columbia properties, at the March 12, 2007 Planning Commission meeting.

On behalf of the seemingly unrepresented citizens of Peachtree City, I would ask, ”Why not?”

As I sat in on the meeting and listened to Mr. Lindsey speak about how wonderful the Columbia properties design for the Lowe’s shopping center on Hwy. 74 and Rockaway Road would be, I wanted to scream.

We all recently watched our once tree-lined Hwy. 74 clear-cut of acres of trees, bare backyards exposed to a concrete view just feet away where there was once a deep belt of pines.

We hear propositions and see for sale signs all over Hwy. 54 West to swap our green space for more retail shopping, to knock down acres of trees adjacent to Line Creek for yet another proposed big box, Kohl’s this time.

How much more of our “Tree Community” can we trade away for more retail stores and the tax dollars they provide?

I am just a citizen and a mom, not a “green activist” of any sort, but we claim to value our green space, and vow to preserve it, by having tree ordinances, large green space buffers, and a land use plan that incorporates conservation of our green space.

All that we seem to value lately is fancy shopping centers and the potential revenues of big box stores. What is going on here?

I would encourage the city of Peachtree City to actively pursue projects that keep our trees. Lately, we seem to need no encouragement to pursue those that destroy them.

On that note, at the same March 12, 2007, Planning Commission meeting it was suggested that we turn the corner of Hwy. 74 and Rockaway road into a big park instead of a big Lowe’s.

What a novel idea! The city could buy the property, ask the GDOT to realign Rockaway Road with Redwine Road instead of Holly Grove Road and relocate the extremely congested Meade Softball Park to the proposed Lowe’s shopping center site.

Our city has a VERY active youth sports community that needs more park space, especially on this end of town.

I do not know about you, but even if this citizen had to have a one-time tax increase so the city could afford to purchase this land for the purposes of a park, I would see that as an investment to preserve the quality of life in our city.

I would much prefer choosing to pay for that assurance than being forced to pay for the ramifications to our community that a big box store is sure to bring.

This use of our land would also go a long way to demonstrating the city’s commitment to improving our quality of life in a way that does not involve trading our trees for more retail conveniences.

Improving our quality of life by creating more places to recreate, play, and spend family time is much more in keeping with the spirit of Peachtree City — Our tree community, not big box community.

Beth Pullias

Peachtree City, Ga.

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