DOT denied first request for intersection of Hwy. 54 West and Line Creek Drive

A developer wanting to build a 175,000 square foot shopping center on Ga. Highway 54 West at Planterra Way will make another overture to state officials seeking a traffic light for the development.

The initial request for the light by Capital City Development was turned down by the Georgia Department of Transportation earlier this year. The DOT said the proposed signal would be too close to the existing signals at Planterra Way and MacDuff Parkway.

A state regulation requires there to be at least 1,000 feet between traffic signals on a highway, which the proposed traffic signal wouldn’t meet those specs because there’s approximately 800 feet between the proposed signal at Line Creek Drive and the others on Planterra and MacDuff.

The DOT has recommended using a right-in, right-out access off the highway and also having an access from Planterra Way, which was on the original plan for the development before it was scuttled by city officials in light of opposition from neighbors the adjacent Cardiff Park and Planterra Ridge subdivisions.

City Engineer David Borkwoski told the City Council last week that he has reviewed the latest traffic plans and traffic study from Capital City last week and once his comments about them are addressed the request for the traffic light can be resubmitted to the DOT.

The traffic light is crucial for the development because its special use permit would be nullified should the traffic light not be allowed for the project. The special use permit allows the shopping center to have a 45,000 square foot grocery store and for the entire development to have 175,000 square feet of stores. Without the permit, the grocery would be limited to 32,000 square feet and the entire development could be no larger than 150,000 square feet.

The parcel is zoned for general commercial use.