While I am all for enhancing the facility that provides for our citizens in their golden years, we taxpayers are about to be ripped off yet again.

Consider that the proposed 11,000 square-foot expansion is nothing more than open space, most likely with low-cost industrial materials, and an ordinary kitchen. Coming in at a whopping $2,190,000 bid, we taxpayers are expected to pay right at $200 per square foot for this expansion.

Let’s compare what we’re getting for $200 per square foot as compared to what we would get for $168 per square foot for a fully custom home in PTC. This home really exists and appraises at $1,400,000 for 8,300 square feet of heated living space:

Proposed Gathering Place expansion at $200 per square foot: Open room(s) with an ordinary kitchen and builder grade materials.

Home in PTC at $168 per square foot: Fully custom home with 5 bedrooms, 6 full baths, 2 half baths, all baths with high-end plumbing fixtures and all secondary baths with deep cultured marble tubs, Jacuzzi tub and separate shower in master bath, 2 full kitchens with granite countertops and designer appliances, 5 fireplaces, 5-car garage (not included in square footage), ornate wood trim throughout to include maple and cherry hardwoods, hardwood and tile floors throughout, heated swimming pool with spill-over spa and custom pool lighting, huge deck areas and screened in porch (not included in square footage), sauna, steam bath, full walk-out daylight basement, 1 acre lake lot, irrigation and security systems, 13 tons of high-end, dual-fuel HVAC, high-end “low-E” dual-paned wood windows with aluminum cladding, central vac system, intercom, 2 home theater surround sound systems, coffered ceilings, vaulted or tray ceilings in all bedrooms, ceiling heights 10 feet, 10 feet and 9 feet with some ceilings at 21 feet and 14 feet heights, magnificent “Signature” landscape package by Peach State Horticulture with rare plant specimens, custom landscape lighting package done by the same company, wine cellar, butler’s pantry, billiard room, game room, craft room, children’s study, office, tavern, den, parlor, family room, mud room and 2 full laundry rooms.

While there may be more steel involved in the construction of the Gathering Place expansion, this home has amenities that far outweigh that cost for comparison purposes.

It would seem that local government is willing to accept obscene contractor bids for construction and repair when it’s the taxpayer that’s footing the bill.

Another case in point would be the $600,000 estimate for fixing moisture problems at the Peachtree City Police Headquarters.

Let’s see, we could build a really nice custom or semi-custom home for $600k or fix moisture problems in a one-story building. I’m all for having a healthy facility for PTC’s finest but was this estimate really based on competitive bidding?

I have a friend who is an expert on bidding commercial construction projects, and he agrees that the estimated cost of the Gathering Place expansion is highly exorbitant.

I say that this project needs to go back to competitive bidding as this project should be closer to half the estimated cost.

Let’s vote down the Gathering Place project until we can provide for our elderly without allowing for this contractor to rip us off. The same goes for the PTC Police Headquarters project.

Name withheld by request

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