Regarding Callula Hill, if Mudcat’s comment about Pathway, or any others, wanting to “shut down the blogs on The Citizen’s website” is true, I would be pretty disappointed.

True, some of the posts on this website can be angry, ill informed, and inflammatory, but that’s always been a facet of public discourse. I don’t always agree, but I’m grateful for the freedoms (and technologies) that allow everyone to have a voice in the public square.

In the three years I’ve lived in PTC, I can think of several development issues (TDK Blvd, Baby Kroger/Goodwill, West 54 commercial development, and now Callula Hill) that have triggered extensive, negative blog comments on this site. The blogs have helped to inform and shape public opinion on these issues and possibly shaped the outcome –as public discourse should when dealing with elected officials.

In each of the cases mentioned above, there has often been a sense that the developer was trying manipulate PTC’s elected officials, while keeping the citizens in the dark regarding their real intent.

If these projects are so great, why do the developers choose to hide their intent instead of making their case to the public outside of the “closed door meetings” at City Hall?

Why the secrecy?

Why the desire to muzzle public opinion?

Why the desire to prevent the citizens from holding their elected officials accountable?

… And why does our current City Council allow the developers to get away with it?

Why the secrecy? MONEY
Why the desire to muzzle public opinion? MONEY
Why the Desire to prevent the citizens from holding their elected officials accountable? Money

Money, you know that root of all evil thing..

If we are lucky enough to find some good elected officials that want nothing more than to help make this county one of the best they are soon voted out of office because you can't be a good elected official for the people and against the developers. Developers only care about one thing, MONEY. They don't care if there is nothing but pavement covering every inch of Fayette Co. They got their money and off they will go to destroy another quiet community. Of course this is just my opinion from observing the goings on in this county over the years.

That's a little paranoid!

If a developer owns land, she/he has the right to develop the land. That's why the own it! If you owned the land, how would you feel if someone told you that you could not build what you want.

That being said, City Council needs to look at all proposals fairly, and vote based upon what's best for Peachtree City using the comprehensive land use plan as it's guide.

Callula should not be built, and I think City Council will do the right thing.

What more disturbing is this continual "conspiracy" theory about council...enough already!

Who keeps perpetuating this bulls@@t

GAlant-

Exactly what part of the HWY 54 West shopping center complex under development is in accordance with the PTC comprehensive land use plan? The developer (CCD) managed to get two city owned roads sold to him to avoid setback restrictions, as well as a special use permit that allowed for two big boxes. Oh—and another traffic light on 54 which GDOT had disapproved twice before, but for which approval is now given (without explanation to the public so far…).

Not seeing that anywhere in the land use plan.

The current land use plan isn't even a guide, it is more of a joke.

Just because you’re paranoid, it doesn’t mean your still not the victim of a developer’s greed.

I wouldn't call that DEVELOPER GREED, its more like city council stupidity. If I owned the land and wanted to develop it, I would ask for the same...Just because the developer asked doesn't make him greedy and for that matter doesn't mean that council has to approve!

Are you telling us that if you purchased and owned the land, you would just keep it to look at it and never develop on it to make money?

Meanwhile, read the Land Use Plan..you will see that it is updated every few years..its updated because things change. Good example is The Avenues - it was industrial and changed. The list goes on and that's good and its healthy, since that's how a community grows.

The problem is not the developers or the plan itself, its who votes on the changes and/or variances!

I have no problem whatsoever with a fair return of profit on land use.

If you go back to discussions that took place on this particular forum back in Dec 2007 when the CCD street sale issue came up, I was (and remain consistent) on that.

CCD had every right to develop the land purchased. What has bothererd me about that whole process is that it became clear that CCD never intented to develop it within the confines of the existing zoning or the 54 West Master land use plan. The bad faith part is that CCD itself helped create that plan--then sought to evade all the restriction on development that it had previously agreed to live within.

Having said that, I must agree with your view that the ultimate responsibility lies with the City Council. I expect CCD to look out for their best interests... I also expected the City Council to look out for ours. However, as history on this issue shows, Mayor Logsdon, Councilman Boone and Councilwoman Plunkett ignored both the land use plan and the opinions of the constant stream of city residents who showed up at council meetings. Collectively, we voiced our disapproval of the proposal to sell city owned streets, and then the proposal to waive the big-box limits. And finally to vote to endorse a third request from CCD for another traffic light on Highway 54 after GDOT nixed the first two.

The good news is that this particular gang of three will no longer be in a position make such decisions following the upcoming elections.

The bad news is that the damage is done.

Don't think you can compare The Avenue and this proposed endeavor. If I remember correctly, Hormel was on that corner, then later a restaurant and finally The Avenue (may have been one or more other small commercial places there in between). The property that finally became The Avenue was at a major intersection in the middle of town. It made sense to change that area from industrial to commercial. Callula Hills is in the middle of industrial, in a flight pattern, and not only are expensive homes planned but cottages, club houses,stores,etc. planned. First of all you would have to be deaf and probably not too bright to buy an expensive home in this area. Where are all the people coming from to occupy those cottages, let alone the homes? How many weddings, receptions etc do you think it would take to make it profitable. Yes, a developer has a right to make a profit but shouldn't the residents have the right to protest something that makes no sense at all and shouldn't we have a mayor and coucil who listened to what the residents wanted?

I think he got 175K square feet. Unless my math is off.

The reason comments like that are made in what Pathways thinks are private meetings has more to do with lack of technical knowledge than it does with suppression of free speech. As with many organizations, the higher up you get it seems that the lack of technical and practical knowledge increases tremendously. The question last Thursday rephrased would have been "Do we have anybody on staff who can hack into The Citizen website and edit or delete those comments than are against Callulah Hills? After all, it is important (to our profitability) that we convert the industrial park to residential quickly so our leader can make a big score before he retires".

So it is a naive, almost childlike inquiry into technical issues that someone born in the 1930's has little hope of understanding. It is part of the culture of that company that most employees tolerate and joke about privately. My neighbor used to work there and she and others get together and tell many stories out of school. Did so even before she left.

On the other hand, this is the same organization who for years timed their press releases and announcements to be just a little bit too late for The Citizen's deadline, but on time for the other paper - all because Cal called them out more than once for misbehavior (or outright lies) in his editorials.

As to why city officials tolerate this behavior - the behavior is simply overlooked or ignored. The city officials are so blinded by potential additional tax revenue which may help them get by a year or two without raising taxes. That's why PCDC always calculates the tax revenue for each project and feeds it to city council quietly before the public meetings.

Maybe I can help you understand why some thing happen the way they do concerning running a city and developers--among other things.

1. We elect officials to represent us in making these decisions according to the law.
2. If we were to try to vote on everything that comes up, nothing would get done. We would try to elect dog-catchers and grass cutters.
3. Often the law says a hearing must be done so that interested parties can participate for information purposes.
4. And lastly, our capitlist system allows for those who are smarter and have time and money to "develop" these things in many ways. Lies are discouraged, but holding back negative information is allowed.
5. Just as you want to sell your old car in order to buy a new one, if you price it for what you think it is worth, it is not then necessary for you to bad-mouth it! Is it?

What makes you think they are smarter?

AUDENTES FORTUNA JUVAT

I think its funny how most bloggers here automatically default to conspiracy theories. Why have "private" meetings if they are not ill intended? How many people on this blog have ever actually permitted a project or requested a rezoning or site plan approval? I suspect most people on here have absolutely NO idea what your own ordinances even say about process and procedure, but you have a keyboard so you're an expert. There are a thousand things that arise during the plannnig process requiring decisions to be made by staff. No project would ever get done anywhere if every meeting had to be public. You think Washington has gridlock? Wait till you see what you get by making the administrative process public.

You are right on!

Personally, I am sick of these continual conspiracy theories....

Wonder how many of these bloggers have actually read the ordiances and land use plan and actually attend city council meetings???

And by the way if you don't like reading the theories, TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER! Quit complaining. We don't want to hear that either.

I like reading these conspiracy theories..they make me laugh.

Anyway, if I turned off my computer, I wouldn't be able to read your replies. hahahaha

What about this: how many realize that developers build EVERYTHING, including PTC? You know, those evil spawns of Satan that built PTC that everyone loved enough to move here for? There should be a happy medium between the "slam the door shut cuz I live here" no-growth crowd and the "build build build" developers, and there did exist that in PTC for quite a while. Now, it's demonizing developers for wanting to make money(GOD FORBID SOMEONE WANTS TO MAKE MONEY!) and politicians who are extremely short-sighted and kind of...well, stupid is a word that comes to mind right away. It's two extremes now pulling in opposite directions instead of working together for a solution that everyone benefits from.

seeing the forest for the trees sometimes. You make good points for sure.

Not all development/developers are bad. Some do a wonderful job, and that includes PTC (the Avenue being one). The last few years have seen so much over development in Fayette Co. that has ended up being eyesores, maybe because of the economy but also really were not needed. Is there something wrong with Quality rather than Quantity? What I'm saying is some developers come in and right off the bat try to find a way around the existing land use plans. I also believe they knew when they bought the property they couldn't develop the land they bought the way they wanted to unless they could find a soft touch in City Councils, County Commissions, so they could manipulate the system.

Everyone likes to make money, of course, but what is wrong with making developers do what is right for the County/Cities and not for themselves for a change. Instead of making 2 million they will make one and half. At least they will still be making money.

Commercial Development is way over built in this County and I don't believe we have the population to support all of it. People move here for the green space, I believe, not the cement space. It is us the population that is left with the aftermath of over development, traffic gridlock. Give me trees, cows in a pasture, any day over a building.