Motorists on Ga. Highway 54 West might be greeted by a gas station directly off the highway next to Planterra Way, according to a plan presented to the Peachtree City Planning Commission by Capital City Development Monday night.

The gas station was the centerpiece of a 99,000-square-foot shopping center that featured the largest two buildings at 24,000 square feet each, short of the city’s size limits for big box stores.

The plan includes the current design of Line Creek Drive and Line Creek Court, assuming the city will not sell them to Capital City as previously requested by the developer.

Planning Commission Chairman Marty Mullin had the strongest language for the plan, saying he wouldn’t vote for its approval because it’s not the right thing for the city.

The commission was merely supposed to provide comments Monday night that could help Capital City massage the plan for a potential approval at a later meeting. There was no such direction, however.

“If you want my critique ... it’s to start over, because everything about this is wrong,” said Mullin, who worked on a citizen-led committee to hash out issues with McMurrain and his company over the proposed development for the site.

Developer Doug McMurrain said he doesn’t want to build the current plan, but he can no longer wait to hear from the City Council on whether it will sell him part of Line Creek Drive and all of Line Creek Court, the two streets that bisect his 14.3 acre tract. McMurrain said he is running out of time on his interest-only loan for the $8 million parcel.

“This is not the path I want to go down,” McMurrain said.

McMurrain has previously suggested that without the roads he could build an 89,000-square-foot Kohl’s Department Store, which is over the city’s 35,000-square-foot limit on regional big box stores. McMurrain said he’d still like to do that plan and have an “Avenue-style” development.

Under that plan, Capital City would lower the grade of the rear portion of the property to protect owners in the adjacent Cardiff Park subdivision. If the city streets remain, the grading of the site will have to remain as is, McMurrain said.

Tim Lydell of the Cardiff Park Homeowners Association said his residents oppose the latest plan offered by Capital City. He supports the Kohl’s plan McMurrain has offered.

“This plan is not Peachtree City,” Lydell said. “We need to get a plan that improves our quality of life.”

If the city fails to do so, “People in Peachtree City can say ‘We have met the enemy and it is us,’” Lydell added.

McMurrain said he thought so far there were two council members in favor and two against the road abandonment and sale. He added that he’s not sure how the fifth council member will ultimately vote when the issue is due to come up at a February council meeting.

“If politics is getting in the way of us doing the right thing for this community, it needs to go on the record as that,” Mullin said.

Capital City already has companies lined up for the current plan, which is not a bluff, McMurrain said.

“If I adhere to the design overlay guidelines ... and the zoning, then we meet the law,” McMurrain said, noting that he might have to bring in noted developers’ attorney Doug Dillard or perhaps local attorney Rick Lindsey, who also represents local developers and formerly served as city attorney for Peachtree City.

Mullin asked if the gas station could be moved on the property.

“No,” McMurrain replied. “But it’ll be the nicest gas station in Peachtree City.”