Haddix: PTC under no obligation to pursue Hwy. 54W light

Tue, 01/06/2009 - 4:57pm
By: John Munford

Peachtree City Councilman Don Haddix remains firmly opposed to the concept of approving a new traffic light on Ga. Highway 54 West at Line Creek Drive.

The light would be within short distance of two existing stoplights on Ga. Highway 54: one at MacDuff Parkway and the other at Planterra Way which also is the main entrance to the Wal-Mart and Home Depot shopping center.

The proximity to the existing signals was the reason the Georgia Department of Transportation denied the traffic light application twice.

Now the regional DOT office has reversed course and the City Council is being asked to submit the traffic light application for approval by the state DOT office.

The council may vote on the issue at its Jan. 16 meeting.

The light is being sought by Capital City Development, which wants to build a 175,000-square-foot shopping center on the 14-acre site on the south side of Hwy. 54.

At stake is more than just a traffic light, but also perhaps the entire approval issued to the development. Without the light, the special use permit that allows the extra 25,000 square feet of shops and a store of 42,000 square feet would be kicked back to the City Council for reconsideration.

Also, the city’s agreement to sell a large part of Line Creek Drive to CCD hinges on the ultimate approval of a traffic light there.

The road’s right of way is needed to allow the larger stores to be built; without it the store size would be reduced because of the city’s setback rules from roads and streets.

CCD has agreed to purchase the right of way to the road for at least $500,000 and perhaps more if the appraisal comes in higher than that figure.

The 14-acre site owned by CCD is zoned general commercial, meaning that CCD could build a shopping center up to 150,000 square feet with no store larger than 36,000 square feet without needing approval from the City Council.

CCD’s engineering firm, LAI, has presented information to the city that synchronizing the traffic lights on Hwy. 54 West will improve traffic flow on the highway, Haddix said.

But Haddix says that would degrade traffic flow on side streets such as MacDuff Parkway and Planterra Way because traffic on those streets will be held longer by the traffic lights.

“There is no gain in time,” Haddix said. “It just redistributes it.”

LAI, Haddix said, is “really pushing” to get approval for the traffic light.

Haddix also disputes the idea that the city should be even submitting the permit. The development agreement merely calls for the city to “not oppose” an application for the traffic light that would be submitted by CCD.

Mayor Harold Logsdon has said that the city later found out the DOT requires the matter to be signed off by city officials before it ultimately is considered for a final approval from the state DOT office.

Logsdon contends that not approving the traffic light application is tantamount to opposing the light, which is forbidden by the development agreement CCD entered with the city.

Haddix is hoping to derail the development entirely, saying there’s not a need for another shopping center in the area at this time. Without the traffic light, which would leave a right-in, right-out intersection the only ingress and egress point, no major companies will want to set up shop on CCD’s land, Haddix said.

Haddix cites the vacant retail space along the north side of the highway which he estimates as being one-third of the overall shops there. Then down the street there’s the nearly-complete Shoppes at Village Piazza that will add more retail storefronts to the mix, he said.

“We just don’t need the development,” Haddix said.

A study performed several years ago by the city looked at possible retail development on the south side of Hwy. 54 West from the city limits to Planterra Way. To handle traffic the study recommended a secondary road that would be off the highway but still provide access to retail areas.

That road cannot come to fruition because of a deed restriction that Pathway Communities has refused to waive on a parcel directly west of the CCD site, Haddix said. Also, that road extended all the way to Huddleston Road, he noted.

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Submitted by UrKidding on Thu, 01/08/2009 - 1:20pm.

You got my vote!! I keep hearing about some kind of a recession and store closings. So what would make this location better then the empty store fronts across the street? This is a joke and add an additional light to make matters worse. BAD city planning!!!

Submitted by Arf on Wed, 01/07/2009 - 7:27am.

Thanks for the support. If this is a bid for mayor, you've got my vote. You are the only one who will listen.

I also endure the pain of the"corridor from hell" at least twice a day. 54/74 is the worse intersection I've ever experienced. And coming off of MacDuff already takes too long. There's a long line of cars waiting for the light every morning.

I think it's odd that our Mayor did not know until now that the "DOT requires the matter to be signed off by city officials before it ultimately is considered." And just how long and how many traffic lights has this man been involved with?

Email your comments to the Ga DOT on their web site. Maybe the DOT will not "ultimately sign off" if it knows the citizens do not want the light, much less more vacant shopping holes.

ftp's picture
Submitted by ftp on Wed, 01/07/2009 - 6:38am.

Mr.Haddix,

Thank you from every single one of us who sit in that traffic disaster every single day just to get to work. It is absolutely painful. It puts you a bad mood before the office and can ruin a good day after the office. When we feel we need more shopping, we will ask for it.


Submitted by PTC Avenger on Tue, 01/06/2009 - 8:49pm.

"Haddix is hoping to derail the development entirely, saying there’s not a need for another shopping center in the area at this time."

Mr. Haddix, you have my full support here. 90% of Peachtree City's as well.

Robert W. Morgan's picture
Submitted by Robert W. Morgan on Wed, 01/07/2009 - 7:47am.

That orientation you sat through on what elected officials can and cannot do had a section on vested property rights. Remember? Or were you on your cell phone?

You and the others are not the sole ruling authority on what we "need" in Peachtree City or anywhere else. In a free market system, the market determines what is needed and rewards those that guess right and punishes those (and their lenders) who guess wrong. They have the right to gamble without your input.

Your role is to administer the land use plan and zoning districts as they currently exist and occasionally vote on a rezoning or an annexation. You all are much too involved in this development with the land sale and everything else and need to back off. I know you oppose what Logdson and the others got us into and like you I am mystified why McMurrian has so much power over the elected officials, but he still has property rights.

Let him fail on his own. His lender won't let him build anything else for at least 2 years anyway. But when you say your votes or actions may be based upon "we don't need another shopping center" or the incredibly stupid "Why can't they just go in some of the vacant space that is already standing?" you are setting yourself up for a legal challenge from the developer because you are getting into an area in which you do not belong.

Now, with that being said, you are doing a great job otherwise and I would certainly support you for mayor - just be sure at least 1 of the 3 new people being elected this November are better than those they are replacing. That was the failing last time. Everybody was so focused on dumping Brown they didn't look carefully at what they were getting. And please don't let Brown come back. He thinks he can sneak onto City Council with 3 openings, but we don't need his ego on display for another 4 years.


The Wedge's picture
Submitted by The Wedge on Wed, 01/07/2009 - 8:17am.

your comment-"In a free market system, the market determines what is needed and rewards those that guess right and punishes those (and their lenders) who guess wrong. They have the right to gamble without your input".

I think you are ceding away proper government control. Zoning and matters of public transportation have been an aspect of city planning for over a century. Zoning allows the commmunity to guide growth of structures and roads. A free market, or laissez faire, system certainly can guide building macro-ly, but should not be allowed in a micro level. It is certainly in the purview of the city to control what is built within its confines. It is not in the city's best interest to allow for older retail structures to die and become abandoned or underused and allow additional building to occur on the city's frontier. This can become a public safety and nuisance issue. The free market money chases after the new and the developing because it is the easiest money to obtain. Failure for banks and developers is now being borne by the taxpayer in general, so the control should and can be wielded by the government. Reasonable and non punitive zoning and enforcement have withstood countless court challenges historically. Developers are a speculative group by nature. When they acquire the property that they wish to develop, they do not have the right to circumvent a city's plan or zoning.


Submitted by jeep2 on Tue, 01/06/2009 - 8:32pm.

Thank you Mr. Haddix for continuing to represent the citizens of this city and our interests. You said it all with " We just dont need the development". Let the EMPTY shops in front of Walmart fill up BEFORE we start building. How about a run for mayor next election?? Might get some support from the readers here!!

opustv's picture
Submitted by opustv on Tue, 01/06/2009 - 10:13pm.

It is definitely time for us to identify and support the candidates that will oust the Mayor and the two city counsel members that will be up for re-election this time around. Mr. Haddix for Mayor is an excellent start. When is the first campaign meeting?


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