The former Coweta Commissioner Mutt Hunter has not disappeared! He is just a little hidden since he "retired". But, it is kind of coincidential that he is on the payroll of Reese Developers and has been for a couple of years now.

The things that make you go hhhmmmmmmmmmmm.

on this project. It's very easy to sit back and say it's wrong for PTC now,if he was so sure of it, he shouldn't have voted to move forward to spend 200K of our money. I can hear it now from Brown, if this road had failed, he would be screaming about PTC "wasting" $200,000. He's the ex Mayor. His opinion counts about as much as any voter of Fayette County.

I'm not sure how residents of Fayette County can have much say on this. I'm open to suggestions, but I'm quite sure folks thought that the founders of PTC were crazy over 50 years ago. We need to remember, all this development won't happen overnight. We see the potential issues/problems, and we need to take steps to mitigate them.

Sorry, Dawg, but you brought your Henry County explosive growth mentality with you and it is not what we signed up for. You and Hofrichter may like the development and the chamber stuff but we don't. In the words of the one of the Henry County descendants "We have turned Henry County into another New Jersey." This is what will happen to us.

For the record get the facts straight. Everyone was completely duped into drinking the Hofrichter/Chamber KoolAid that TDK would relieve traffic. As perposterous as that sounds, even after Doug Mitchell said there is no growth in the industrial sector and no need for a road, EVERYONE bought off on TDK for traffic relief. Cal Beverly even wrote an editorial praising the road. Where are you now Cal ?

That is --- everyone but Steve Brown. He knew it was a Group Six giveaway. And when he tried to oppose it, he was attacked by Steppin Fetchit Seabaugh and the whole crowd. As a compromise, even with Beverly pounding him, Brown agreed to a token $200,000 limited to design fees. You people are unbelievable. It was a time when Brown compromised, even though he maintained his opposition to the road, and you fault him for that too.

Bottom line---- Steve Brown was 100% right.

I don't think you can point out anywhere that I've said that. Especially at anywhere near the density proposed.

Knowing what I know now, no way I would be in favor of it. But most everyone was.

There was a good reason I left Henry County over 2 years ago. Out of control growth with ZERO road planning to go with it.

I point blank asked for suggestions as to what folks think we should do now? I'm still interested...

Hyw. 74 was widened to 4 lanes because of PTC at Fayette County's expense.

Do you think it's going to get widened again to 6 lanes at Coweta's expense?

A widening project for south hwy 74 is already planned - regardless of the TDK extension's success or failure. As for North 74, if the traffic increase is so extreme that it necessitates 6 laning, then the increased traffic and revenue to Fayette county will pay for any part that Fayette County is responsible for. 74 is a State highway spanning multiple cities and counties, so I think the DOT funds most (if not all) of that expansion. Now if we can just avoid our CITY management failing to staff the Fire, Police, and Public Works departments appropriately for the increase, this isn't necessarily a bad thing - PTC might even come out with a revenue INCREASE. That's not to say I think it's a great idea, but I'm more concerned with overdevelopment inside the city honestly.

Hey big guy PTC80 how are you coming up with a revenue increase for Fayette County? They're building a million sq. ft. commercial office center across the border which is going to hit us major financially. Why would we want to avoid proper staffing on public safey and public works?

Highway 74 (south) was supposed to be widened back in 1994. It looks like 2007, maybe. Did you read in the AJC where the DOT said their demand for roads exceeded their funding by something like $10 billion? I don't think Highway 74 (north) is widening anytime in our near future.

Vote Republican

Coweta needs to take care of their own problems. They will have many to deal with. How many homes will they sell when the potential homeowners figure out that it will take them an hour and a half to get to work? They need to widen their own roads and add some going up to I85.

Well hey there, bad_ptc. Look, I'm not saying I like the idea of the new development. I commute to Atlanta myself. The traffic here is not bad at all and sure, I'd love to keep it that way. I'm just sick of seeing all the whiny PTC people on here complaining about every little thing. Highway 74 is a state highway-not a county road. It's meant for commuting and industrial use-that's what it is here for. If you can't deal with a little traffic you should move way out into rural portions of the county and work out of your home somehow. By the way, you never answered my first question. Isn't it somewhat hypocritical to bash this development when your beloved city was formed in the same way?

Hey SLUF, the main point is that we actually have a CHOICE. The Coweta County Commissioners can decide if they want to screw up their land plan and create significantly more density and traffic gridlock (for us and them), or the can choose not to rezone.

Peachtree City and Fayette County can decide not to build TDK, the rosd directly responsible for the massive development, if they want to have an active role in the future of the traffic health of our community.

It's a choice: build into a gridlocked future or build moderately?

By the way, if Peachtree City was build to the density of the proposed TDK monster, our population would be around 75,000.

What choice do you have really? Sure you can opt not to build a road. You can even cleverly withold your water supply like you are doing to Senoia (great job losing out on that money too). Do you think that people that live there won't find an alternate route-or alternate way to get water? One thing is true; the government has not planned for growth at all in any area. Just look at how messed up 54/74 used to be and how long that took to get fixed. Rockway Road and 74 is another example. It's a dangerous intersection and very crowded after a softball game, but they won't put a light there because growth in Senoia could be a terrible side effect. So someday somebody is going to die there because of this stubborn attitude. Again, I'm not saying that I'm for this development-just tired of PTC folk that think they live on some gated island that outsiders may not traverse. As a Georgia and US taxpayer I funded highway 54, 74, and I-85 just as much as you and I deserve to use them just as much as you. Maybe Coweta should get up in arms about PTC residents using 54 to get to I-85 south and head towards the Gulf coast.

SLUF - We denied Senoia sewer, not water. My position is that anything that slows housing growth down in Eastern Coweta is fine with me. I grew up in Senoia, the growth scene there is not a pretty picture. And actually, they are having an extremely difficult time securing sewer capacity and may not be able to. They can't even provide public services to meet the growth, their cart is way in front of their horse.

You are right about 54/74, but doesn't tens of thousands more cars make all the current problems worse? However, what is wrong with a position asking for residential growth that doesn't exceed your infrastructure? If you are OK with the Gwinnett County type of growth, then we'll just have to agree to disagree.

You were right again when you say look how long it took to get the roads fixed. We would all be willing to bet that it will take an extra long time to get them fixed again, so why promote excessive development that will leave us in long-term misery?

I am certainly not for Gwinnett style growth, but why not plan for it before it happens? I would be happy if we had a county of homes with a few acres each-I hate subdivisions where you can shake your neighbor's hand from your living room. Unfortunately a lot of PTC is made like that and other cities are also. My point was not that I want this development; I just think we are all entitled to use the highways we all pay for. The relationship between PTC and Coweta is becoming like that between North and South Korea. We're all American and like it or not, we're neighbors. OK-I'm getting off of here to enjoy my evening and the peace and quiet of rural America.

I just think we are all entitled to use the highways we all pay for.
I find I’m in total agreement with that statement.

The problem I have is that the last traffic study that was done by PTC was in 1999. That study concluded that Hwy. 74 was adequate for it needs.

As of 2000 – 2005 the GA DoT determined that the traffic on Hwy. 74 has doubled from 12,000+ vehicles to over 25,000+ vehicles a day. These new developments are going to increase the daily volume another 25%.

Add to that the mayor of PTC is against having the westside parkway as a “bypass” to avoid the 54/74 intersection.

Add to that the development in south Fulton, 74 I-85 interchange. BTW Fairburn just announced that another 500,000 square foot “warehouse” facility is going in on Oakley Ind. Blvd.

Add to that the hundreds of townhouses that are being built on the same road.

Bottom line, if the traffic is not considered as a major factor in future growth, we’re screwed.

The developers can have those new neighborhoods built long before the GA GoT can have a plan in place to accommodate the traffic.

How many of our developers live in such a home? Do you know why? It is not a fit place to raise a family.

No offence intended.

Please read some of the posts at http://www.thecitizen.com/node/8417.

When you say traffic is not bad on 74, you need to define what you consider bad.

I for one think a three to four mile backup on Hwy. 74 North at the I-85 interchange is bad.

When I can divert down Collingswroth/Palmetto road, get on the interstate going north, going eight miles south out of my way, and still get past the ramp to Hwy 74 faster than I could had I stayed on Hwy. 74, then yes, traffic is bad there.

When the traffic on I-85 South at the ramp to Hwy. 74 is backed up on to the right lane of I-85 because both left turn lanes on the ramp are filled with trucks. Trucks that block the left lane of Hwy. 74 so they can turn onto Oakley Ind. Blvd. , then yes, traffic is bad there.

When the number of vehicles on Hwy. has doubled in the last 5 years according to the GA DoT, then yes, traffic is bad there.

When Coweta County is going to add an additional 10,000 commuters to Hwy. 74 plus some 900,000 square feet of retail just inside the county line on Hwy. 54, then yes, traffic is bad there.

I do know a little bit about bad traffic as I spent a number of years commuting in and out of D.C.

Like I told you, I do commute to Atlanta and I've never seen a 3-4 mile backup..the most I've seen is maybe a mile or two and that was when the ramp to I-85 was messed up a while back. I simply went down Oakley Industrial and up that way and had smooth sailing. What's funny to me is that you still haven't answered my question. Don't you think you are a hypocrite for being upset over this development when PTC was formed in the same manner-on a much, much larger scale? It's OK for PTC to cause traffic problems for other people, but not the other way around I guess.

Tyrone, according to the published history, was founded by those that worked on the railroad back in 1911.

The total population for the city now stands at somewhere around 8,500 as far as I can tell.

Up until PTC got established, most of the residents of Tyrone lived and worked there, or in the surrounding communities. Again this is based on a very quick search of the history.

Tyrone benefited from PTC by the fact that PTC provided additional jobs to the local area.

Tyrone may or may not have benefited, depends on your point of view, when 74 was widened to 4 lanes as it provided greater access to and from the interstate system.

Coweta County will benefit from the proposed growth at Fayette’s expense.

Coweta County will not have to pay for improvements to Hwy. 54 or 74.

I fully understand that this road is a “State” rode and not a county road. The only problem is that transportation issues on this Hwy. are bad and going to get worse unless the State either improves the roads or slows growth until the road system can handle it. If that means using mass transportation to alleviate traffic than so be it.

Read the link I provided on the subject.

If you were to believe the numbers that have been tossed around, 8,000 to 10,000 additional people, commuting to and from Atlanta on Hwy.74 then Coweta is getting a great deal. Fayette maintains the transportation infrastructure and Coweta get it use it free.

Now that I’ve answered your questions, please answer mine.

Where do you commute to and from?

When do you commute?

Again, I’m not trying to sound like a pain in the A$$.

We’ve been having this discussion for quite some time now.

Please provide any information you are comfortable with sharing.

You haven't really answered my question...you've been cleverly dodging it. I'm not going to answer questions about where I work, but it is in Atlanta. I'm fine with the commute because the alternative of living in Atlanta doesn't suit me-I'd rather drive 30-40 minutes. If YOU don't like the commute then you should live where you work. It's a tradeoff you make to have a cushy lifestyle in PTC.

The widening of 74 in the 80's was a state DOT project, as with any state road. How do you figure this was at Fayette County's expense?

I figure it just as these expenses are all for state roads and at Fayette County's expense.

They are all partially funded from the SPLOST.

SR 85/SR 314/Jeff Davis Intersection Improvements
SR 85 Medians (LCI)
Lafayette Ave/SR 85 Traffic Signal
Stonewall/SR 85 Left Turn Improvements (LCI)
Jimmie Mayfield – SR 92 to S. Jeff Davis Design
SR 92 Connector Right of Way Acquisition
SR 92 (Forrest Ave.) Realignment (LCI)

What part of the improvements is Coweta going to kick in?

Local access improvements which are "partially" funded from SPLOST is one thing. Widening a state highway across municipality and county lines is quite another. I'm certainly not defending any actions by or on behalf of Coweta County, but to the extent that much of the budget for state highway projects comes from state revenues, Coweta's paid in as much as any other county.

The Quixote-esque naivety on this board is incredible. The developer (Reece) owns this land and will develop on it, as that is what developers do, whether this road is built or not. Without TDK Blvd. the people that buy the houses in this certain to come development will simply cut up to 54 to get to 74 and in 8-10 years 54 between Fayette and Coweta will again be one of the worst gridlocked traffic disasters in the state. The same people that are now squawking on this board against this road will then come on this website or one like it and complain about the lack of foresight by our elected officials, as that is what reactionary bloggers do. We will be right back to square one and wishing we had more east-west connectors in the region to relieve the bottle necks.

As an added bonus, I feel very confident that without TDK and the more convenient access to PTC the developer will be forced to modify his development plans because the land will be less marketable to more affluent consumers. So rather than $300,000-$2 million homes and nice overall amenities in the development that is proposed, the development to our west will be acre after acre of starter homes with as much density as the developers can convince Coweta to approve. So if the forces against TDK win we will have a development similar to those that have killed Henry County on our border rather than a nice, high end development as has been proposed. So you guys keep fighting hard to "preserve our way of life."

Bottom Line--Metro Atlanta is a vibrant and desirable place to live and according to the census folks its population will continue to grow rapidly in the two decades to come. If there is land within 60 miles of Atlanta developers will buy it and build housing for these people that are coming, whether we like it our not. Further, our cities and counties will continue to build roads and other infrastructure improvements to accomodate all of these people. Screaming and complaining every time a new development comes that this is "the end of world as we know it" (ie Home Depot, the Avenue, now this new development) is naive and ultimately counter productive. People are coming and we need to strive for the nicest possible land use planning possible rather than engage in a vain fight to stop each development that is proposed.

You bring up some good points for sure. I agree with you, the land will be developed, and the higher the price range of the homes etc, the better off we all are.

I think it's fruitless to think we can halt all development. It's a nice thought and all, but it's just not realistic..

I mean long before we get to vote again?

One foot on the floor