Peachtree City planning officials are looking at ways to tighten up zoning ordinances to prevent obvious retail uses from occurring on industrially-zoned property.

At Monday night’s planning commission meeting, City Planner David Rast noted that some of the retail stores operating on industrial zoned tracts include a hair salon, a karate studio, a thrift store and child play areas.

The city’s attention on the matter has been focused by a ruling from Fayette Superior Court Judge Paschal A. English Jr. that a Lowe’s Home Improvement superstore could be built on an industrial zoned tract at the intersection of Ga. Highway 74 and TDK Boulevard.

The zoning language that came into play in that lawsuit was an allowance for businesses to operate in industrial zones that deal with “building equipment and farm materials,” Rast noted.

Although the property owner who filed the suit has said that Lowe’s has lost interest in the site, the city is still concerned about the possibility of retail uses popping up in the industrial park. Industrial uses typically use a small fraction of city services compared to other developments, meaning the municipal taxes they pay have a net positive impact on the city.

Officials have said that industries typically offer better jobs than retail uses can offer.

Rast said he doesn’t yet know what would happen to existing retail shops in the industrial park if the city changed its ordinances to disallow such uses on industrial zoned property. Rast said he would discuss the matter with City Attorney Ted Meeker.

“My feeling is that they’ll be grandfathered in,” Rast said of existing retail stores on industrial lots.

In some areas where retail stores are operating on former industrial buildings, there just isn’t enough parking to handle the peak demand, Rast said.

The city has taken steps to make sure that business licenses aren’t issued to new retail businesses who would located in incorrect zoning districts, which seems to be working well, Rast said.

Commission Chairman Marty Mullin said he mainly worried about the impact that could occur with retail stores locating on industrial parcels off major thoroughfares such as Ga. Highway 74. Commissioner Patrick Staples said he also tended to worry about larger retail stores because he tends to favor the benefits of having “mom and pop stores.”