PTC Gripes

The main question that I would like to see addressed is “what happened to the original plans for Peachtree City to be a suburban residential community with limited shopping venues.” The separate industrial park area was designed to create jobs and pay taxes for upkeep of the town’s infrastructure. Those who bought into Peachtree City early on came here for the simple, isolated, family-oriented town that offered safety, security and a quality of life rarely found. These days, Peachtree City has become a major hub for out of the area residents to work, shop, eat and entertain themselves. The actual residents continue to lose out because we are being overrun by out-of-towners rushing in to spend the day or rushing through to get somewhere else.

Main concerns:

1. Foreclosure and empty retail spaces.

There should be a moratorium on any new development or annexation as long as there are so many foreclosed homes available and so many empty store fronts. We need to fill up what we have currently have instead of adding to the glut of new homes and new shops.

2. Traffic.

Increased building causes increased traffic problems. As it is now, the traffic is increased and impeded by new development workers, new retail outlet workers and shoppers and those just passing through from one area to the next. Traffic problems in the past 3 years have soared. An auto accident used to be front page news, but now you can see bad accidents several times every week.

3. Crime

Crime continues to increase in all of Fayette County. In Peachtree City where the main crime used to be spray-paint vandalism, there are continual robberies, drug busts and aggressive crimes. The Peachtree City police have long been geared toward traffic and curfew violations and scrutinizing anyone under the age of 21. While these things may still need attention, the police force needs to be refocus on real crime to the point that those planning to commit crimes figure out that Peachtree City is not the place to go. The judicial systems also need to be strengthened so that those who are violated the safety of others in any manner are dealt with harshly and not just let go to do it over again.

4. Schools

Fayette County has long held a reputation for good schools, but there is much now working against quality education. At the very least, schools should be placed and designed so that those who attend them live in the local neighborhood. Schools used to be a focal point of small community pockets, but with redistricting, students are shipped all over the county and the local school is less a mainstay of the area that it serves.

Obviously, all of the concerns listed above are problems that have been created by the out-of-control and rapid growth of the area. Way too much in way too many directions. It is time to stop, back up and revisit the small town quality of life that made Peachtree City a place “you love to call home” in the first place