The Peachtree City Planning Department and Comprehensive Plan Advisory Board hosted the sixth of seven comprehensive plan public forums Thursday at City Hall in Peachtree City to discuss updating the city’s comprehensive plan.

The sixth meeting focused primarily on Glenloch Village, the third largest of Peachtree City’s six villages.

One area in Glenloch Village that was addressed was the Peachtree Crossing Shopping Center.

“We’re all aware of what could have been done in that area,” said City Planner David Rast, referring to Goodwill’s failed attempt to move into the Kroger located in the shopping center. “What happened there could have had an awful impact.”

One local resident asked, “Has there been a lesson learned by anybody so that we don’t have that done again to us by Kroger? What are we going to do? Sit back?”

Rast replied, “I can’t answer that tonight.”

The same resident said, “You might want to reconsider your leases. I think we got lucky.”

Peachtree Crossing Shopping Center was named by Rast as one of three “character” areas — places that are in need of the most attention — in Glenloch Village; Peachtree Colony and Stevens Entry were the two others.

Stevens Entry is receiving significant attention from the planning department.

“It’s an area we do have concerns about,” Rast said. “There is an issue with a number of occupants in some houses. It’s a safety issue that will be addressed by council soon.”

As for current development in Glenloch Village, the city is currently in phase four of the Hwy. 54 landscape enhancement, which stretches from Peachtree Parkway to city limits.

“Our goal is is to have the project out for bid by later this fall/early this winter,” Rast said.

Tammi Babb, senior code enforcement officer for Peachtree City, made a visual and oral presentation at the forum that focused on the city’s many code ordinances.

The partial list of common code violations, according to Babb, includes cleanliness of premises; vehicles parked in the yard; home occupations; outdoor water use restrictions; unsafe structures; debris on the side of the street; lake usage; and tree preservation.

Water ban violations have been keeping Peachtree City’s code enforcement officers active.

“We have issued over 50 violations of the water ban since October,” Babb said.

Some of the challenges the code enforcement officials face, Babb said, are aging structures, the increasing population, improving systematic inspections and an increasing number of foreclosures.

Another challenge that has Babb concerned is dealing with hostile citizens who have violated code ordinances.

“We’re dealing with some hostile people lately, and it’s getting very serious,” Babb said. “

There was a community participation comment board on which citizens could post their concerns and recommendations on sticky notes regarding the future of Glenloch Village and Peachtree City.

Some of the posted comments included no big box development; big boxes are good because they bring tax relief and are better than empty strip-centers; sound abatement on roads heavily traveled bordering residential areas; creating a buffer on Hwy. 54 in front of the Wal-Mart shopping center; the landscaping on Hwy. 54 between the parkway and 74 looks awful; and the desire for more field space for the city’s lacrosse teams.

Once all the public forums are held, the Peachtree City Comprehensive Plan Advisory Board, the Planning Commission and City Council will compile all the feedback received from the public and present the information for review at several workshops, which are tentatively scheduled for November and December.

Following the workshops, staff will prepare the community agenda portion of the update and present this to the planning commission and city council for review. The documents will then be submitted to ARC and DCA for review prior to approval and official adoption by Council.

Peachtree City’s seventh and final comprehensive plan public forum will be held Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at City Hall. It will focus on development in the Aberdeen Village, but as always comments will be accepted on development around the entire city.

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