AJC’s Wooten - Straight Talk on Development

AJC’s Wooten - Straight Talk on Development

Jim Wooten’s column in the August 22 edition of the AJC entitled “High-density growth makes knots tighter” is a perfect commentary on Peachtree City’s Westside annexation and the tumultuous development efforts on our border in Coweta County. I think we'd better pay attention.

Wooten:
“The development community, astute folks who know how to survive and prosper in a world of crazed no-growth activist and cost-shifting regulators, often do it by cloaking their projects in the language of their critics: smart growth, live-work-play communities and sustainable development, among others. It all adds up to density, though – high density, like much of that now cropping up along I-285 on the Northside.”

If we look at each individual development on its own, we might conclude that we can take the extra traffic pinch. However, if we look at the sum total of the developments, it’s no longer a pinch; it’s more of a death grip. For heavy commuting areas like Tyrone, Peachtree City, Senoia and East Coweta County, road capacity is the difference between the good life and the stressed life. Brown showed a lot of foresight on this issue, but he didn't win.

What is the government’s role in protecting not just the “good” life but also our economic vitality? The answer is clear. Most of these mega-developments require local government approve of annexations or rezonings. Yes, your future commute to work is in the hands of our local elected officials.

Wooten:
“As for high-density development, it should be held in check until we know that the carrying capacity of roads and highways is adequate to serve the added traffic. Buzzwords and feel-good marketing phrases don’t cure what ails us in metro Atlanta – and that’s traffic gridlock.”

Express your concerns for the future of the Fayette-Coweta region to the County Commissioners and City Council and asked them to vote “no” on annexations and rezonings. We really do have a choice!

Coweta County Board of Commissioners
Commissioner Tim Higgins: thiggins@coweta.ga.us
Commissioner Leigh Schlumper: lschlumper@coweta.ga.us
Commissioner Larry DeMoss: ldemoss@coweta.ga.us
Commissioner Greg Tarbutton: gtarbutton@coweta.ga.us
Commissioner Paul Poole: ppoole@coweta.ga.us

Fayette County Board of Commissioners: administration@fayettecountyga.gov

City Council, Peachtree City: council@peachtree-city.org

Do You Think

Submitted by PTC Guy on Wed, 08/23/2006 - 4:15pm.

The Good Ole Boys' friend Logsdon will listen?

Only hope is to get the others to see some light and override him.

If not, we need to get off of the Any One But thinking and start picking smart candidates, even if they are not personally popular.

-----------------------------
Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.

login to post comments

Logsdon's Probably A Lost Cause

Submitted by Spear Road Guy on Wed, 08/23/2006 - 5:57pm.

I'll be the first to admit that I screwed up in that election. I was led like a lamb to the slaughter for Logsdon. All the guys at Flat Creek said Logsdon would restore the public trust.

I bought to manure on tax relief and strong leadership for the good of everyone. It's been like riding a rollercoaster without the little bar coming down over your knees. I've yet to find anyone that likes the Westside proposal and I know they're going to hate the TDK development explosion.

Let's hope the rest of the council cuts him down like they did with the sewer into Coweta deal. We've got to turn this ship around.

Vote Republican

login to post comments