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Haddix: By 3-2, PTC going the wrong wayTue, 09/09/2008 - 2:39pm
By: Letters to the ...
The recent announcement of job cuts at Panasonic is a shock and a loss to Peachtree City. It is also a call to take a serious look at where Peachtree City currently is and where it is going. For those who remember, these were campaign issues and have been ongoing concerns for Councilman Doug Sturbaum and me. This job loss is yet another in a list of manufacturing, industrial and other higher paying job losses over the last number of years. Yes, we have had employment gains as well. But growth in retail jobs cannot and will not offset those higher paying job losses. Yes, we do have Sany locating here. But where that was seen by some as a gain, it is actually a partial offset to the losses. That offset will take 10 years to be fully realized. As well, Fayette County, especially Peachtree City, has measured much of its success on attracting well-paid commuters to live here. That is a reality we cannot look to in the future because the demographic and logistic realities have shifted to people demanding to live close to their jobs, as reflected in our population growth slowing before the current economic woes and now being flat to negative. And no, mass transit is not an answer as that is still a form of long distance commuting and it brings its own inherent problems along with it. So, am I crying, “We are doomed!”? No, never. I am saying now is the time to get off the old ways of thinking, as in, “Build it and they will come,” “More retail means more consumer spending; after all, there will always be some empty stores,” and, “Things will get back to the good old days and how it always has been. It always comes back.” Times and realities have changed. We need to change or be left behind. In the past, Peachtree City was growing, but now we are at build-out. That means that flow of one-time fees, other one-time or short monies and donations to the city from new construction, so heavily counted on in the past, are drying up. No longer will the next new retail construction cover the catching up of infrastructure and service costs from older constructions and ongoing budget expenses, as stated in a recent budget. Now new retail construction will simply increase the number of empty stores within Peachtree City and reduce the sales in others as our infrastructure ages and consumes more money in repair and replacement costs. Realities found on the Northside, and across the country, give us ample warnings of how not to proceed. Those realities include malls, Big Boxes and large shopping centers turning into crime magnets whose infrastructure and service costs end up exceeding their incomes, with age begin going dark, especially the Big Boxes and large centers that actually generate less income to cities, counties and states than they consume. If you doubt that, look at the locales and even states penalizing and even banning them now. Look at all of these places that sit empty or have become large flea markets. Just drive around Peachtree City and see all the empty stores, fewer cars in parking lots and less inventory being carried in the Big Boxes. Then look at Fayetteville, where it is worse, and Coweta, where it is even yet worse, with about 30 percent vacancy, but they keep building. Also look at the Northside, where they are moving to the village and downtown shopping models as fast as they can once the ability to keep annexing and building new projects ended. For the future of Peachtree City, taking into consideration our geographical location, we need to make our first priority recruiting research, development, tech, medical and educational institutions and businesses. Those employ people who will work, live and shop here, without commuting. Attracting those assets will sell our too many homes on the market and enhance our home values. In turn that will fill our empty stores and enhance sales across the board, which will further increase housing demand and add to local sales in retail and other commercial interests. Those working in our retail, by and large, do not live or pay property tax here. And if they do live here, they have less disposable income than those assets we need to be seeking. The old “grow or die” in size and numbers demand isn’t working out. We need the new grow in quality demand model. Places that have succeeded in that model are doing quite well. As we all know, some of the most key players in driving the goals and future of Peachtree City are the members of the Peachtree City Council. How we promote and vote carries heavy weight as to what the results will be. So where does the council stand? Basically we have a three to two split. Three are for business as usual where being a great commuter city with low crime, high quality standards and great recreation will do the trick. Basically the old model of “Build it and they will come.” Two are Smart Growthers, meaning you add what is needed, not anything that presents itself, actively seek what you need, keep up with what is successful and what is not and create the infrastructure required to bring what is needed here. On annexation, three have few restrictions when it comes to adding property or annexing to grow Peachtree City liberally when an annexation request presented itself. Two oppose annexation unless it can demonstrate true gain to Peachtree City, as in provable positive and needful reasons. In example, the 80 acres at Redwine and Ga. Highway 74 versus annexation of the Publix and Steinmart shopping areas. One is built, has a proven income history, squares out our city limits in one area, brings in an area where we are already providing some services and so on, while the other is not even built, will require allowing WASA onto the property and is a neighbor of the already existing Wilshire shopping, which already has Dominion building competition immediately across Hwy. 74. On Big Boxes and large shopping centers, three support them and two oppose. Remember here, Big Box ordinance caps boxes at 32,000 square feet and total site development at 150,000 square feet, per national impact and other studies. To build more requires special permission from Council, which has been granted by this council in a 3-2 vote this year. Inventing definitions for Big Boxes or trying to add the term Mid-Sized Boxes does not change the reality of what constitutes a Big Box. On extending sewer into the county, three are willing to use it as a tool for annexation and control where there is no compelling need, while two are strongly opposed except for the most compelling need. As regards building more homes, three are for allowing more and two are against because we simply do not need more homes at this time. This is demonstrated in the lifting of the multi-family moratorium to allow John Wieland Homes to not only move forward on requesting a rezoning of 89 acres to residential, but high density residential. In all these issues the two votes were Councilman Doug Sturbaum and myself. One time I can remember where this pattern was broken was on the variance request to exceed 35 feet for the proposed Fairfield Inn. Doug Sturbaum and I managed to ask the questions that uncovered an issue concerning the request that resulted in 2-3 vote defeating the request, Cyndi Plunkett voting with us. But it is significant that two still voted in favor, as all three had done so before on a Hilton request to exceed 35 feet, even when motel and conference center occupancy rates in Peachtree City are running less than 40 percent total. The one other time this pattern was broken was in the effort to take away the Development Authority of Peachtree City (DAPC) funding. Cyndi Plunkett again voted with us to defeat the measure 2-3. These issues reflect how important it is as to who is making the decision on the future of Peachtree City. There are those who do not believe citizen rights exceed developer rights, do not believe you cannot simply build your way out of problems, do not understand the basics of market economy laws of supply and demand, consumer base, market share and do not understand demands change with time. Then there are those that do understand those realities. The DAPC of Peachtree City plays a critical role in our future. Without them we have no organized effort to recruit the institutions and industries critical to our future, determine the infrastructure we need and pursue it, pursue business to fill our vacant store fronts and work with our current businesses and industry for retention. This is why I became the liaison to the DAPC to aid in fully bringing them on line from their shelved condition where some had actually thought of disbanding them. Everyone is entitled to their own thinking, motivations and beliefs. My thinking and motivation is that we have taken a wrong fork in the road and are heading in the wrong direction. Those on the three side of the votes totally disagree. Ultimately the voters determine whose thinking will be making the critical decisions. So, why did I write this letter? Because newspapers often leave the impression Councilman Doug Sturbaum and I say nothing or very little and have little impact on what council does, such as ordinance changes, etc., and that the council largely agrees on every issue, none of which is true. In addition, I had promised open communications with the citizens, which I an keeping via occasionally using the venue of letters to the editor and will more frequently keep with postings on donhaddix.com, along with Councilman Doug Sturbaum and Representative Matt Ramsey. All of us are always open to questions and remarks. Thanks for your attention and patience. I hope this gives some perspective on the issues facing Peachtree City and how council is looking at those issues. Don Haddix City Council Post 1 Peachtree City, Ga. login to post comments
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