News | Peachtree City

Wieland touts ‘housing mix’ in latest plan

Thu, 01/24/2008 - 4:09pm
By: John Munford

Wednesday night, John Wieland Homes showed off its latest design schematic for an 89-acre site off Ga. Highway 74 at south Kedron Drive ... and an additional 66 acres to the north that extends up to the future location of MacDuff Parkway.

The property is zoned for industrial use, but with the pending closing of the at-grade railroad crossing at south Kedron Drive the only way to access the site will be via MacDuff Parkway through a residential area, said Councilwoman Cyndi Plunkett. The parcels are east of the recently annexed tract on which Wieland will build 475 homes off MacDuff Parkway.

The design featured a cluster of office/educational campus style buildings on the northern portion of the property, designed so that the parking would be in the rear. There are also two additional roads that run parallel to MacDuff to gain access to the residential areas further south.

Wieland officials didn’t have a unit count prepared for its plan, but it featured several pods of townhomes that drew some criticism from several residents. Wieland Vice President Dan Fields said the goal is to have a good mix of housing, with affordable price points even for college students, a recent suggestion from the citizen’s committee that is working with Wieland on the plans.

In addition to townhomes there may also be some live-work space, along with other single-family detached lots.

Some of the townhomes were located along with other single-family homes on the property’s eastern border, which is up against the CSX rail line. The parcels’ western border is an easement for power transmission lines.

Wieland architect Michael Medick said one goal of his design was to blend a mix of housing types, which can be done with style. Many of the homes would be served by alleys, moving the garage door to the rear of the property, Medick said.

Fields said the company also had a goal of working to save as many trees as possible on each individual lot.

Some audience members were warm to the concept, but others — about one-quarter, based on a show of hands — had problems with the apparent density based on the townhome concept.

Task force member Phyllis Aguayo said she couldn’t support the plan based on density. She argued the site would be best for office use, which is what the city’s future land use plan recommends.

“This is a lot of multi-family,” Aguayo said.

Resident Lynda Wojcik said there are plenty of other affordable homes in Peachtree City in older areas and also in subdivisions with zero lot lines.

Wojcik said she wanted to see more greenspace on Wieland’s plan.

The plan also features four multi-purpose sports fields that would be located at the site of the Peach Pit, a closed construction landfill that has been tested to insure there are no contaminants.

The townhomes would face greenspace, but several residents said they didn’t think there was enough greenspace on the property.

Plunkett, who is also on the task force, said she wants citizens to email their comments and suggestions about the potential development to her and other council members.

Fayette County Schools Coordinator of Safety and Discipline C.W. Campbell said the school is asking Wieland for an extension on the deadline to build an elementary school on property the company gave the school system in the Centennial subdivision to the south. He also noted that in several years the school system will be looking for about 30 acres to build another middle school in the area.

The elementary school has not been built yet because of the safety factor since there was only one way in and out, but once MacDuff Parkway is extended to Ga. HIghway 74, it will be much more feasible, Campbell said.

Capt. Dave Williamson of the Peachtree City Fire Department said the city is also looking for a different site to locate a new fire station in the Wilksmoor Village because the current site donated by Wieland is too far south given that the growth is occurring further north.

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So I guess water.....
Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Fri, 02/01/2008 - 2:44pm.

is no longer an issue.
-------------------------------------------
Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


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New Wieland Development
Submitted by Gary Mercer on Fri, 02/01/2008 - 2:37pm.

As a long time resident of the Kedron community, I think I speak for most residents in saying that we don't need another high density development across the highway from us.
The land was originally zoned, as part of our first land use plan, for commercial/industrial use. Not 475 homes on less than 160 acres. (Close to 3 units per acre.) This is just another name for more apartments. Town homes become rental units, then become low income housing with government subsidies. NO THANKS ! This was not the original design concept of Peachtree City. I think we have all had it with developers who are only concerned with dollars in their pockets, with no regard to the long term effect on those of us who live here.
I will personally go door to door to start a campaign to stop this change to our community. I would think the folks who have recently moved into the newer developments on McDuff Parkway wouldn't like this either. Better office and industrial, than sub-standard housing. (And, all the problems it brings with it.)
Mr. Wieland, you are in for a fight!

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WIELAND DEVELOPMENT
Mike King's picture
Submitted by Mike King on Fri, 02/01/2008 - 3:31pm.

I hope Mr Mercer gets his facts in order prior to going door to door throughout Kedron. The only portion of the property mentioned that is zoned commercial is the 89 acres generally along the RR tracks on Hwy 74, the remainder ties in with the MacDuff Pkwy area that is not zoned industrial.
Mr Brown is correct when he asserts that this property(89 acres) should have been addressed at the time of annexation, but it was not and we now have to deal with it. I would contend that those who reside in Centennial and the other areas in our southwest quadrant deserve access to Hwy 74 to the north without going to Hwy 54 and then north onto Hwy 74.
Further, the developer (Wieland) has agreed to fund this access which is no small price. Would we rather risk that these 89 acres remain zoned industrial and have, say, some type of manufacturing venture along Hwy 74, I think not.
Additionally, the owner of these 89 acres has owned the property for better than half a century and by whose say would they be denied the opportunity to improve their land.
The bottom line is that it will be developed along with yet another property to its northwest.
What we as residents of Peachtree City should do is to communicate with both our Planning Commission and City Council as to our desire that the standards of these projects are kept to Peachtree City standards.
This project is still a ways down the road, but it is coming. Working now with Mr Wieland to insure our standards are reached is what the Planning Commission is currently doing. The presentation last week showcased what could be attained with issues yet to be worked out.


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Mike, Mike
Submitted by sageadvice on Fri, 02/01/2008 - 3:44pm.

This is the kind of threats that have been used by others for a long time. Don't you also buy inti it!

What we don't want, and I think you must know it, is for a bunch of apartments or cheap houses on small lots, along a railroad, that will eventually house units that will degrade all of the rest of PTC.

We have enough of that in two other places here!

Let Wieland build what he knows: larger homes on one-half acres, or more, and for that privilege he builds the bridge the Centennial, and that proposed mess must have! PTC would be more like a planned community with that.

Fight for that. The developers aren't going to make you rich, nor are the voters going to elect you with that attitude.

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NIT
Mike King's picture
Submitted by Mike King on Fri, 02/01/2008 - 3:57pm.

We agree that small high density single dwellings and apartments are not what we want. What you seem to be missing is that Wieland has not proposed anything "cheap" for the area.
Townhomes ranging upwards from $350K and single family dwellings ranging from $350K and higher were presented in the plan.
No developer has any strings attached to this horse and I ran for council because I was fed up with what has happened to our city over the last fifteen years. Further, I am content that we now have two stellar new Councilmen that will represent us well.


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Westside Wieland Blues
Steve Brown's picture
Submitted by Steve Brown on Fri, 01/25/2008 - 5:07pm.

This is exactly why this 89-acres should have been included in the master planning of the two annexation requests.

Go back and read Mayor Logsdon's comments during the westside annexation discussion and you will see he has flip-flopped on this issue too.


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I use to respect Wieland as a builder
Submitted by oldbeachbear on Fri, 01/25/2008 - 7:28am.

Now I think he, and anyone else trying to push developments down our throats in the middle of a housing glut, are fools.

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you can ask mark and enigma about john wieland to oldbeachbear
trentrivers's picture
Submitted by trentrivers on Fri, 01/25/2008 - 8:31am.

when we moved to here for school enigma and mark had me to meet john wieland. mark took me to a house where mr wieland lives and we had a good steak. he is a man of trust and he is with my family making hotels too now. he made the house my brother and i live in. i trust this man john weiland and you too can.

Trent


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mr scarborough and mr guthrie too
trentrivers's picture
Submitted by trentrivers on Fri, 01/25/2008 - 10:39am.

i would like to say hello to my friends mr guthrie and mr scarborough to. i know they also are small store builders who want to grow on hwy 74 too. mark and brent and howard will all be here to help if you need a good man too. all have honor.

Trent


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Trent
Submitted by sageadvice on Fri, 01/25/2008 - 5:30pm.

I belief you about wieland. Good man--rich man!
i would also like to meet mr guthrie and scarborough to, also!
I would intro you to my friends : Wi, Cheatum, and Howe!
All had honor.
How do one get into small store builders? sounds awful....good.
where is your and wielands hotels? I know he has some such stuff in Charleston!
i won't be needin Mark and brent and howard! not rat now.
Ah seed in Gwynet county whar cops broke up hobo camp in tents. I aint seed such since 1935. Sum sleep under som bridgs in lanta i here. probably not rat now due tuh freeze.
good tuh here you haf a house stead of teepee in sich weather.
be shore and take car of all kitties you find by givin vet hundreds.

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Trent
Submitted by sageadvice on Fri, 01/25/2008 - 5:28pm.

I belief you about wieland. Good man--rich man!
i would also like to meet mr guthrie and scarborough to, also!
I would intro you to my friends : Wi, Cheatum, and Howe!
All had honor.
How do one get into small store builders? sounds awful....good.
where is your and wielands hotels? I know he has some such stuff in Charleston!
i won't be needin Mark and brent and howard! not rat now.
Ah seed in Gwynet county whar cops broke up hobo camp in tents. I aint seed such since 1935. Sum sleep under som bridgs in lanta i here. probably not rat now due tuh freeze.
good tuh here you haf a house stead of teepee in sich weather.
be shore and take car of all kitties you find by givin vet hundreds.

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