PTC Police HQ: Problem or opportunity?

The Peachtree City Council acted responsibly when it deferred action on the proposed $1.1 million renovation of the police station. The building has dangerous moisture intrusion and is in need of costly repair. The Police Department staff has already moved to temporary rented housing in anticipation of the repairs.

A consultant did a forensic study of the structure and the report cited defective design and construction as the culprit. We learned late in the game that exorbitant expenditures are needed to bring the building up to an acceptable standard.

The city attorney says taxpayers have no recourse against anybody because the statute of limitations has passed, and nobody is talking about who knew what and when. There are still questions to be answered, including how to pay for the essential repair and renovation. City staff recommends the money be borrowed and re-paid by taxpayers over a 15-year period.

If the consultants’ suggested remedies don’t work, the city will be twice burned on the same project, and taxpayers will be on the hook to the tune of $1.1 million plus the $1.3 million already owed, not to mention the likely cost of constructing a new facility. This brand of triple jeopardy is not an option.

Somebody deemed the structure safe in 2001 and they were dead wrong. This can happen again.

A strong argument can be made that the problem won’t go away by replacing walls, flooring, and Sheetrock, because the underground origin of the moisture must be mitigated before the building is completely dry and safe.

The moisture and mildew is well-documented and moving the same employees into the building again might expose the city to legal action by current or former employees who may experience respiratory problems or other illnesses during their lifetime.

It is too risky to burden future administrations with this exposure and financial risk. They won’t be able to hide behind sovereign immunity on this one.

More importantly, any decision by Council should be made in the best interest of those police officials who serve and protect us. Our mayor and City Council members are faced with quite a quandary, and it isn’t their doings. They inherited this mess and have few reasonable options.

The solution certainly isn’t purchasing the former Photocircuits building because of the environmental clean-up question. The proposal to acquire land and build a new facility should be “dead on arrival” because the cost will be in excess of $6 million and taxpayers won’t stand for it.

Peachtree City has one of the best police departments in the nation, and it truly deserves a state of the art facility and good working conditions. It is because of this department excellence that I am saddened to suggest that Council should face this crisis by making do with what we have and getting rid of the moisturized building by whatever means makes sense.

This costly problem can be turned into a less expensive opportunity. One option is to provide office space in City Hall for the new police chief and a few key police staffers, establish three or four small police precincts in strategic areas and either demolish the moisturized building or put it on the market “as is” in a fire sale to the highest bidder.

The basement offices and classroom at the city-owned Peachtree City Tennis Center will be an ideal precinct location. Modification of the lower level of the Tennis Center will be far less costly than the numbers being discussed. The location is near an emerging commercial center in a part of town that may soon be surrounded by apartments, high-density housing and increased crime.

There is a successful precedent in Metro Atlanta. It drastically reduced crime near Perimeter Mall when a DeKalb County Police precinct was established on a site directly across from the mall.

At least two existing fire station sites have sufficient acreage for expansion. Additions of approximately 1,200 square feet to each station should meet precinct space requirements and be cost-effective. It will also facilitate communication between the two public safety departments.

There are two other advantages of the precinct approach to policing Peachtree City. There will be increased law enforcement visibility, which helps deter crime, and response time to calls should be less.

The proposal to establish police precincts probably won’t fly because it represents change. The new police chief will oppose it, and it won’t be popular within the ranks either.

City staff housed in City Hall will oppose it because their already limited space will be even more limited. Fire Department personnel will oppose it because they don’t want expansion and additional traffic on their sites.

The Tourism Association will oppose it because it will restrict parking, and tennis pros will lose office space. Contractors who want to do the work on the existing station will oppose it because they need the work.

Only the taxpayers who stand to save millions will embrace this idea. I’m betting taxpayers will lose this sporting event in a rout with the final score being an additional quarter mill in property taxes.

[Scott Bradshaw describes himself as “a real estate developer, community activist and resident of Peachtree City.” He is chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Homebuilders Association of Midwest Georgia, a member of the West Village Impact Fee Advisory Committee, and a former member of the Development Authority of Peachtree City. His email is rand5474@bellsouth.net.]

Scott, your police idea is great, but reduce it to the basics

Submitted by mudcat on Tue, 03/04/2008 - 7:59pm.

You have a great idea, but you got into micromanaging and then second-guessed yourself. Don't do that! Just go with the basic idea.

This is a great idea and very simple. We have 4 or 5 villages - put a police facility in each - village shopping centers always have vacant space. HQ wherever they want to be.

My micomanagement idea is to put a police branch (or whatever we call it) at the Fred/Gathering Place/Rec Dept. area.

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