To open my last letter before Nov. 6, I would like to thank the citizens of Peachtree City for understanding how important this election is and taking the time to learn the issues and candidates.

We have had a sunshine issue where the state, county and PTC governments worked together and approved an industrial complex with no public hearings. What will the next such approval be? We need laws guaranteeing sunshine. The rights of citizens to have input in their home city has to be a must.

We have had several unwanted-by-PTC developer proposals that were withdrawn at the midnight hour, right before the election. Please understand they can come back at any time.

On annexation a stated purpose of annexation is to control land bordering our current city limits. No mention of the fact that annexation moves the border out to where there is a different parcel of land now being the new bordering land. Does that need to be controlled as well? What about the stretching of emergency and other PTC services?

Since the limits have been moved does that now allow some zoned lands behind the new limits to now move to greater density in a redevelopment? Just how big does PTC need to be to cease to be able to function as a village? How big do we want PTC to become?

Land-wise, except for the most unique exceptions or critical needs of PTC, I believe we are large enough in acreage.

At the civic forum one question was asked that sums up many of the issues facing PTC and the philosophies of candidates running for office. That question was:

“Is the comprehensive plan a guideline or a law?”

Only two candidates, one for each post, recognized it was a plan, not law, that needed to be given the force of law to take personal agendas out of it.

Only two recognized personal interpretation and viewing it as a general guideline have allowed many of the things done wrong in PTC to have happened.

The rest wanted it to be “flexible,” a guideline only, not a law. Never “dogma.”

Last election held the promise of upholding the plan. Now it is crystal clear the promise was defined as the plan being suggestive and subject to personal interpretation.

The comprehensive plan was developed and reviewed by groups of citizens working with all of PTC over months of time to study and create the document. Seeing it as a guideline has shown us it can be disregarded in minutes, from the presentation of a violation of the plan to its voted acceptance at council because three of the council members simply liked the proposal.

That is why we need a moratorium to develop and enact ordinances, in addition to the big box ordinance, that legally bar violating the comprehensive plan. We have to stop the selling of our vision to developers.

If we are not willing to do that — which will require electing the candidates who do not see the plan as a suggestion but a requirement that needs to be backed by law — we might as well take comprehensive plan and run it through a shredder.

Claiming to defend the comprehensive plan while being unwilling to make it “dogma” is business as usual, subject to my interpretations.

If you have not already done so, I ask you to checkout my website for a complete explanation of my positions.

The election is in the hands of the voters. Who is elected will determine what happens over the next two years. Both seats are critical. I would appreciate your consideration and vote for Post 1.

Don Haddix

Candidate for PTC Council Post 1

http://donhaddix.com

Peachtree City, Ga.

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