Council turns down request to extend sewer line east of city limits

It didn’t take long, nor did it take much discussion, for the Peachtree City Council to sack a sewer request Thursday night.

A company had asked the city to extend sewer beyond the city limits to the east. Millenia Realty Group was asking for the extension because of problems with the septic system at Governor’s Square retail center.

Millenia informed the city that the county health department has denied several restaurants from being permitted to operate at Governor’s Square due to the septic issue.

The matter was complicated by not only the city’s fairly-intact precedent of not extending sewer beyond the city limits. Another significant issue was the concept of running the sewer main to Governor’s Square through existing right of way off Ga. Highway 54.

That location could touch off a Georgia law regarding proximity to sewer lines which would allow the Peachtree East (Publix) shopping center to also be allowed sewer access. Also it brought a potential of allowing the sewer service to extend further into the unincorporated county.

Unincorporated Fayette’s lack of sewer has been a natural inhibitor of density as it requires the use of septic tank systems which require minimum lot sizes of one acre or better to have room for the septic drain fields.

Some citizens worry if sewer service is allowed in the unincorporated county, developers will be enabled to seek far dense developments than currently allowed.

After a briefing on the issue from City Planner David Rast, council avoided any discussion and voted the matter down 4-0.

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