During last week’s Fayette County Commission meeting, Chairman Greg Dunn said he was “stunned” to learn that Peachtree City was considering providing sewer service to a development in unincorporated Fayette County.

Developers Scarbrough and Rolader want to build 60 homes on 218 acres on Redwine road in south Fayette County. Since the land adjoins the Starr’s Mill school complex, the developers are asking to tie into Peachtree City’s sewer system.

Dunn said he expected to have talks with Peachtree City officials soon, but even if the county vetoes the measure, it may be on the losing end of the dispute. Retired biologist Dennis Chase attended Thursday’s meeting and said he has been told by a consultant for the developers that a state law could govern the dispute.

“He told me that if you’re within 500 feet of a sewer connection that it’s mandatory that you hook up to the system,” he said.

Chase also added that the North Georgia Metropolitan Water District also favors sewer in many respects to maintain the quality of the region’s water.

Another factor in the dispute is 27 acres of wetlands that sits near the school site.

In the 1990s, Chase said the school system was getting ready to build on the site. During the permitting process, five acres of wetlands were discovered. As part of the mitigation efforts, Chase said, the school system left 27 acres to be used for environmental education. The property is deed restricted, so a sewer line could not be placed across the property, Chase added.

The biologist also told the County Commission that he was worried when Peachtree City expanded the capacity of the sewer system.

“I told them that they could not possibly need that much capacity for the city since the city is almost built out,’ he said.

Chase also wonders if Peachtree City will one day supply some of their excess capacity to Tyrone.

“If they get that new downtown area going, they’ll need more capacity as well,” he added.

Until recently, the city sewer system, officially owned by the Peachtree City Water and Sewer Authority, operated under a policy of providing sewer service only within the city limits, except for a few parcels permitted under an agreement dating from 1997.