The Peachtree City Council has eliminated the expansion of the city’s senior citizens center from the upcoming year’s budget.
There was $700,000 in the city’s proposed Bricks and Mortar financing program to design and build the facility at a cost of $62,000 a year for 15 years. The underlying problem, however, is that one proposed project might affect how big, how small or if the Gathering Place expansion needs to be done at all, officials said.
“We don’t know how big that could have to be based on the First Baptist Church’s plans,” said Mayor Harold Logsdon.
That answer may come soon as the church’s plans to build a community center was to be presented to the city’s planning commission in a workshop format Monday night. [See related story on that meeting on Page A12.]
The church has pledged to work with city recreation officials to host leisure programs there when the space is not otherwise being used by the church.
Councilwoman Judi-ann Rutherford said she wanted to see a study of what other recreation space is available in the city. She also cautioned that sometime the City Council would have to decide between things it wants and things the city needs.
The move is not final until the council votes at a later date on the entire budget. Logsdon said he wanted to make sure the city’s Senior Adult Council was notified so representatives could comment at a council meeting if they wished.
Logsdon and fellow council members Cyndi Plunkett and Steve Boone got an earful from the Senior Adult Council several months ago as several adult council members expressed their concern about having Gathering Place programs for seniors moved to the church building.
The general consensus among the senior group was that they were perfectly happy holding all their programs at the Gathering Place, which is located in the McIntosh Trail recreation complex.
City Finance Director Paul Salvatore said council might miss a financing opportunity by delaying the Gathering Place expansion, as staff tries to save on closing costs by grouping together Bricks and Mortar projects. Council recently approved seeking $498,000 in such loans to build a satellite auto shop, and if the Gathering Place expansion were approved the projects could be in the same loan grouping, Salvatore said.
Council is also looking at possibly eliminating or reducing the expansion of the driveway and parking lot at Riley Field, which is currently home to the city’s youth football program. Several residents in the area have complained about noise, and Council asked staff to look into relocating the football program, freeing up Riley Field for the lacrosse and soccer programs, which aren’t as noisy.
Leisure Services Director Randy Gaddo is due to make a presentation soon to council about the possibility of moving the football program to a new multi-use field at the city’s baseball and soccer complex on Ga. Highway 74 South.