Ten years ago, my husband and I moved our family to Peachtree City, but not because of a job change. We moved here because we wanted to be a part of the Peachtree City quality of life. The recreation, great schools, and small town charm were everything that we had dreamed of, in a place to call “home.”

Now I sense, and I believe people throughout our community sense, that some of the qualities that make Peachtree City such a great place to live may be at risk of slipping away. I see a trend of increased density in new residential developments. I see bigger and bigger retail boxes in larger and larger shopping complexes. And I don’t understand why, in a city of nearly 10,000 golf carts, we are widening state highways through the middle of our town.

I believe that Peachtree City is not a big city, and we do not want to become a big city. I am running for City Council because I want to put a stop to the recent trends of unchecked growth.

Our original village centers will be successful as long as we prioritize the types of retail, restaurant, medical, and office storefronts that the village populations want. As a city we have a responsibility to make sure these centers are clean, accessible, and updated.

Our multi-use path system is an environmentally sound, city-wide alternative transportation system that gets very little acknowledgment from the powers that be at the state DOT, the Atlanta Regional Commission, and, at times, the county. I suggest we return our focus to safety, connectivity, and cleanliness of our path system, and let the outside forces build their own bypasses and megalanes on their own turf, with their own dollars. This is Peachtree City. We do things differently here.

Quality of life? We have it to spare. In the past two months alone, my family and I have enjoyed the dog park; walked the Freedom Walk; shed a tear in the Amy Grant concert; and gaped in awe at the new Veterans’ Memorial at Falcon Field. It just doesn’t get any better than this.

I feel increasingly protective of not only our amenities and our quality of life, but also of the citizens who wish to be heard. In one of the candidate forums I was asked specifically to pledge that if I were elected, I would vote with the citizen majority.

I made that pledge with confidence. As I have stated throughout my campaign, when I am on City Council, I will vote with the voice of Peachtree City citizens.

Peachtree City is a spirit. It is an understanding that we chose to build and enjoy something totally different – something nobody else has. Now I ask your help in making sure we preserve and support the qualities that make Peachtree City the best place on earth to live.

Kim Learnard, BSEE, M.Ed.

Candidate, PTC City Council Post 3

www.KimLearnard.com

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