News | Peachtree City

Path issues frustrate PTC family

Fri, 01/30/2009 - 3:40pm
By: John Munford

Developer says path should be removed; city said ‘no’ in November

When Tim West moved his family into their home on St. Albans Way in Peachtree City in fall 2007, they were aware a cart path would be located next to their home.

While the path system conjures up idyllic images for many residents, has become a sore spot for West and his family in their Cedarcroft home.

Their seven-year-old son and his friends have to be on the lookout for speeding golf carts, some of which are blaring music, West said. And because it’s the main path to the 24-hour Walmart it is used at all times of the night, he added.

One day West was looking into his backyard and saw two teenagers who had climbed on his fence and were throwing objects at the family’s dogs that had just been let outside.

Mike Rossetti of Ravin Homes, which is developing the Cedarcroft subdivision said the company is still working with city officials on an ultimate solution. The only true fix is removing the cart path, Rossetti said.

The City Council in November turned down Ravin’s request to remove the path in part because it is so well-used.

West said when he purchased the home in August 2007 he was told by the company that the path was actually going to be removed with golf carts rerouted around the subdivision.

Rossetti said that contention is not true at all. Instead he contends that West was told Ravin would be glad to remove the path although the decision is ultimately left up to the city.

City officials have suggested that Ravin Homes could close the path if they finish a nearby tunnel under MacDuff Parkway that was left uncompleted by a different developer. That tunnel would allow carts to circumvent Cedarcroft altogether and avoid traveling on MacDuff.

Since the council meeting in November, the path has been removed and is being shifted closer to West’s home to make up for a mistake in the original path layout, West said. The error wasn’t discovered until Ravin went to build the foundation for the new home on the other side of the path from West’s home.

A code enforcement officer later went to West’s home Dec. 30 and served him with a warning letter that his fence was too close to the path, giving him five days to move it or face a citation.

West, who by that time was fed up with the issue, tore up the letter in the officer’s presence and was subsequently issued a citation for that action. He later paid a $500 fine ordered by the court.

West admitted his responsibility for tearing up the letter. But he did get the fence moved in time, at a cost of $1,200. West feels Ravin Homes should bear that cost due to relocating the cart path.

Neighbors haven’t given up on negotiating to close the cart path with the city and Ravin Homes. West, however, has given up. He just wants out.

It’s sad, he says, because other than the cart path issue they are completely happy with their custom built home.

Rossetti says once city officials truly understand the problem he thinks they will decide to eliminate the path.

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Death wish
Submitted by mysteryman on Mon, 02/02/2009 - 9:53pm.

Ah the classics, you all should check out the death wish movie marathon on AMC this month, then get out there and deal with all those P.T.C punks and take back your cartpaths....PEACE

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more than one PTC family frustrated
Submitted by 123PTCStreet on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 3:23pm.

Quite frankly, I am tired of all of the fuss over the Cedarcroft golf cart path. The West family is no different than any other family living within the vicinity of a golf cart path in Peachtree City.
I feel the West family’s pain, a little too closely. My house is within 10 feet of a path and I personally experience litter on regular basis, golf carts riding over my sodded yard daily, profanity from teens when I ask them to slow down, and the incidents of police involvement which I would rather not mention for fear of revealing my identity. Sad. I don’t dare spend the money on a fence because it would be vandalized most likely within a week. My neighbor, although one house down from the path, now parks his cars in the garage at night because, “It’s never been like this before.” He has lived in that house for 20+ years. Is it only the West family that has to tolerate “speeding golf carts, some of which are blaring music?” Please. It’s not the 24-hour Walmart’s fault. This is going on all over the city. Others are just not getting the publicity that the West family is.
I don’t blame to West family for buying a house “too close” to a golf cart path. How was I, the West family, or other buyers to know that golf carts in this city drive with reckless abandon, that the paths are pretty much unregulated, and that the teens in this city are largely unsupervised and have no respect for others property?
If city officials eventually decide to eliminate the “West family” path in the Cedarcroft subdivision at taxpayers expense, then they can relocate the golf cart path within 10 feet of my house too. In the meantime, I’m going to start a “Victims of the Peachtree City Golf Cart Paths” support group, and when the real estate market rebounds enough, I’m selling out of the 30269 zip code.

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I have a path that runs behind my house..
Submitted by Spyglass on Sun, 02/01/2009 - 3:57pm.

And I don't have any of the troubles that you have. I guess my point is, it's not bad everywhere.

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Ravin Homes
Submitted by localyocal on Sat, 01/31/2009 - 8:20pm.

How is it Ravin Homes fault....

The first paragraph sums it up, "they were aware a cart path would be located next to their home". Even if Rosetti had promised he would personally remove the cart path a verbal agreement is only worth the paper its written on. I do give kudos to Mr. West for tearing up the citation in the officers presence, something you only see in the movies.

Maybe the city should finish the tunnel, oh wait there is no money to make on that....

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PTC FEB 5 CITY COUNCIL MTG-THIS IS AMAZING!!
Submitted by PTCGOIL on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 8:58pm.

Let's cut more PTC jobs and benefits AND spend (yep, SPEND) an additional $14,240. for just the DESIGN of a path connection at Mcduff Pkwy to the commerical development on 54.

Then, after the city has wasted another 14k it doesn't have, Ravin Homes will CONSIDER building the design. No commitment at all, just to consider constructing it.

So what changed from November when Council said a big NO to closing paths in Cedarcroft to now? Why doesn't Ravin, at their own expense, design this? Then they can't complain that they don't like the design or can't afford the design or just have decided they won't do it AFTER we taxpayers have spent this money. FOR WHAT?

We already have three tunnels and two bridges sitting with absolutely nothing going on due to no money...and Bernie McMullen has put this recommendation on the Feb. 5th City Council agenda with his approval already on it? Bernie, are you out of your freakin' mind??????????

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To bad for the family
Submitted by America on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 10:02pm.

I went with a family friend to look at these homes in September and we were told by one of the male managers that they were going to close all the cart paths in Cedarcroft before summer of 2009.

To the family, you should have gotten something in writting. The city should have each head examined if they want to pay for the mess up of Ravin Homes. These familys were aware of the paths when they bought the homes. Since you did not get anything in writting that is your fault.

Ravin Homes either feeding BS to buyers or they have someone on the inside with this.

The city has to say no to this request.

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Path Issue
Submitted by 85300ZX on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 8:15pm.

Unfortunately, a builder's interest is not always the same as the home buyer. They will tell what you want to hear to sell you a home.

85300ZX

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Poor planning by Ravin Homes and the City Council
Submitted by swhite135 on Sat, 01/31/2009 - 4:56pm.

The article on the golf cart path in Cedarcroft did NOT even touch on the facts. This golf cart path in the neighborhood is being used as a major thru way to Walmart. On a pretty day with good weather- over 200 golf carts a day use this path. The police and the City have come an monitored the traffic on this path and were shocked. There are over 15 children under 9 years old living between the golf cart path and the end cul de sac. These kids are outdoors playing and it is not safe with most of the golf carts speeding thru without even looking around them. One golf cart lost control and went completely through a garage door in a house on the path. It was poor planning for the City Council to approve the path and poor planning for Ravin Homes to build the path. No golf cart path in a neighborhood should be used as the main thru way to get to the Walmart retail area. There is a golf cart path along MacDuff Pkwy that could be used to get to the retail area. But no one will complete it. More poor planning by both parties. As for Micheal Rossetti denying that they told buyers the golf cart was going to be removed - it was only temporary. Was he present everytime his sales people spoke to potential buyers? No he wasn't, I built a house in Ravin Homes and did not see Micheal Rossetti until the closing. He does not know what his sales people said to home buyers. As seen above, it was said to more than one party looking to buy in Cedarcroft. The fact of the matter is the following: Peachtree City is a family planned city. With the amount of children in this neighborhood and playing outside, the first priority needs to be safety. The way that mostly the younger drivers drive the golf carts on this path is not safe. What if the golf cart that lost control and went through the garage door of a home had hit a child. If the newspaper was going to write an article on the path, they should have emphasized the amount of traffic, the accidents that have occurred, and the danger the children in the neighborhood. The paper seemed to have overlooked some of these important facts. We need for the City Council and for Ravin Homes to do whatever is necessary for the safety of the residents in Cedarcroft. It is not just one family being inconvenienced as the reporter implied. It is a large group of children who could potentially get hurt because of the path being used as the main thru way to Walmart. Finish the path on MacDuff Pkwy which is not near any homes and there will be no need for the paths in Cedarcroft. The right thing needs to be done by both parties to ensure the safety of the residents.

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