Q's for Mike King

First, I appreciate your becoming involved in these blogs. It’s rare to get an actual insight into a candidate’s thought processes (albeit after he lost). Maybe all council candidates should be required to participate here for six months BEFORE the election…just a thought Smiling

Anyway, on another post you said your preference for highway 54w is “small retail.” I’m just a casual observer on the whole Kohl’s/McMurrain controversy, but I’m not sure I don’t agree with the Planterra homeowners who actually think a Kohl’s would be better.

The whole north side of 54w is already small retail and looks like a carnival midway. It’s all little franchise operations that someone thinks will do well here because we have an affluent zip code, but I’m willing to bet half or more will be gone within 5 years. A couple already are closed. Don’t we have enough vacant “small retail” in this town????

A Kohl’s also would fill an actual gap in the local retail market. Right now, if you want to buy mid-budget clothes in PTC it’s pretty much Steinmart or drive 20 miles roundtrip.

On the other hand, if allowing a Kohl’s would set a bad precendent in terms of altering the land use plan, I’d be against that. Wouldn’t be worth it in the long run.

One other question: Why is it seemingly impossible to get any of these developers to look at tearing down and re-developing on established sites such as Westpark or the Little Kroger strip or the Kmart strip? Are there any city incentives that could be applied toward that end?

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Mike King's picture
Submitted by Mike King on Fri, 01/25/2008 - 12:09pm.

Placing a Kohls/big box adjacent to Planterra Way would increase the traffic flow in and around the area exponentially. Mr Lydell and the other gentlemen who are in favor of the proposal, in my view, do not speak for the majority of their residents( I could be wrong).
Consider that if a big box goes in, who then could be their backfill when their corporate headquarters decides to downsize? Also, one would have to consider the noise and lighting considerations for Cardiff Park.
I will admit the solution will not be easy since now we have so many hands stirring the pot. Currently we have big boxes across Peachtree City--consider Publix and Kroger. I do not see adding another large retail outlet to what agreeably has become a "carnival" throughway as beneficial to our quality of life now or in the future.
Peachtree City is long overdue to redevelop some of its retail space with the Braelinn Shopping Center being perhaps the one with the most urgent need. My take on the problem is that it is not locally owned which makes it much more difficult to effect change.
Lastly, I know of no local incentives available for site improvement.


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Good questions..
Submitted by McDonoughDawg on Fri, 01/25/2008 - 11:48am.

In my opinion, the "Little Kroger" strip is quite successful. It's actually two totally different centers, as we discussed ad nauseum went Kroger threatened to pull out, they decided to stay, and brought in some Two Buck Chuck, and they can't keep it in stock. I use that store all the time.

I agree about the Braelin center, redevelopment would be wonderful, but I don't see major retail wanting to locate there, as it is off the beaten path. No visibility from any state highway, etc. As long as Kroger and Kmart are paying rent, the owners are probably making money. Those two stores alone probably take up well over 2/3's of the centers square footage.

I'm mainly against a Kohls, or any store of that kind because they have no problems leaving town and leaving us holding the bag on a "big box". I'm not sure how we can keep them out, as we have more than a few big boxes already in PTC.

Obviously, I'm not Mike King, but I do have a vote, and these are my feelings. Smiling

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M-dawg,
Submitted by bowser on Fri, 01/25/2008 - 7:57pm.

You make a good point about the Lil Kroger strip -- it ain't pretty but it does seem to be thriving. And with genuine local businesses too, like Omega books and Run Fit and the Bike store. Sadly, you're probably also right about Braelinn.

Westpark sure seems ripe for an extreme makeover but I suspect if there was green to be made someone would have already done it.

Meanwhile I guess 54w will turn into one giant mall food court. Anyone wanna go in on an Orange Julius franchise? Smiling

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Same as "Skull and Bones"
Submitted by sageadvice on Fri, 01/25/2008 - 2:32pm.

Dawg
I have a feeling that secretly the Braelinn enter was built, knowing that the road into Coweta with anew town would also be built.

Yes, even that far back.

If you don't know what Yale's S & B is, look it up.

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NITPICKERS
Mike King's picture
Submitted by Mike King on Fri, 01/25/2008 - 2:55pm.

I would venture to say that the TDK extension possibility was a consideration as far back as 1988, however you must also realize that in 1988 Crosstown Road was a southern boundary of development along Peachtree Parkway.
Further, there was a need for a grocery venue for those of us that reside along that portion of the Parkway south.
Do you really fault those who may have had the foresight to envision the area somes twenty years hence?


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