I am writing this letter to close out this year by thanking the [Fayetteville] mayor and City Council for stiffing the taxpayers for $1.3 million by purchasing 3.16 acres of land and for the repair of the Pye Lake dam.

Thanks also for the ongoing expense of maintaining the lake and the property tax increase to fund the purchase. A privately owned lake, which in actuality is nothing more than a pond, conveniently donated to the city strictly for the benefit of the land owner and the developer of the adjoining property.

I attended two Planning and Zoning Committee meetings when the rezoning of the Pye Lake property was on the agenda. During the public comment phase of the meeting I asked if these houses would be lakefront houses and the city planner Eldridge Gunn responded with no, they would be lake access houses, i.e., the back of the houses would face the lake.

Then I asked if the citizens of Fayetteville would have access to the perimeter of the lake. Mr. Gunn responded with a muted, “No.”

The second meeting I attended I saw no reason to ask any questions since it was obvious to me that it was a done deal. The only concern the P&Z committee had was the financial responsibility for building a road to maintain the dam. The developer agreed to pay for building the road.

I suppose by now that everyone is familiar with eminent domain; however,this is slightly different as the mayor and City Council have gone directly to the source and appropriated your money.

Happy New Year, fellow taxpayers, and enjoy the view as you drive by Pye Lake and see the lake-access homeowners fishing from their private floating docks and paddling their canoes on their private lake. Paid for by you and me.

How sweet it is!

Edward Lawson
Fayetteville, Ga.

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