New shopping center would downgrade traffic at Planterra

The developer’s traffic study is projecting that nearly 700 vehicles will go in and out of a proposed shopping center on Ga. Highway 54 West on any given weekday between the peak hours of 4 and 6 p.m.

But the document, chock full of data and projections, doesn’t contemplate any projections for what the weekend traffic will be along the corridor.

The Line Creek shopping center, also referred to as The Columns at Peachtree City, is proposed to be 175,000 square feet, above the city’s big box size limit of 150,000 square feet. To build the larger size, Capital City Development needs a special go-ahead from the City Council called a special use permit.

The Peachtree City Planning Commission will meet Monday at 6 p.m. to debate whether they will recommend approval or denial of the special use permit.

The permit applications requires the traffic study as well as economic feasibility data. CCD is projecting the city would get $300,000 a year in taxes if the development is approved.

The study, conducted by LAI Engineering of Marietta on behalf of CCD, projects a total of 333 vehicles entering the shopping center during peak afternoon times, while 361 vehicles would be leaving the shopping center during that 4-6 p.m. weekday period.

The study measured existing traffic conditions and then issued projections based on the traffic volume growing by 3 percent each year, according to the study. It concludes that the intersection of Line Creek Drive meets all three guidelines to qualify for adding a traffic light.

The study recommends that Line Creek Drive would be split into a separate right turn lane and a shared lane for left turns and straight traffic heading north. That, however, is the only access point in and out of the development, which is a cause for concern due to emergency access, officials have said.

No other improvements are proposed for the project either at the Line Creek intersection or at the nearby intersections of Hwy. 54: at MacDuff Parkway and at Planterra Way.

According to the study, if the traffic light is built, the MacDuff intersection would remain at the B level of service even after the shopping center goes online. The intersection for Planterra Way and Rankin Road (leading into the Wal-Mart and Home Depot shopping area), however will drop from a C level of service to a D level of service once the Line Creek shopping center opens.

Planterra’s average wait would go from 34.1 seconds 41.3 seconds once the shopping center opens. But the plans did not include a previously considered access drive emptying onto Planterra Way. That access road was opposed by the homeowner’s association and also impossible due to other property that’s in the way, officials have said.

According to traffic engineering principles, a level of service C means cars will wait between 15 and 25 seconds before clearing through, and a level of service D means cars will wait between 25 and 35 seconds. A B level of service means cars wait between 10 and 15 seconds.

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