November Update

With so many issues in the public eye it seemed to be a good time for another update.

Trash and recycling issues are important in the world today. So, when a mandatory Peachtree City recycling program was presented in a Workshop, some of us on Council began from an opposing position, but were open to new facts that could change our minds. I was vocal over problems I had with this concept.

At the Council Meeting, when additional information was presented from the audience and Council Members Doug Sturbaum and Cyndi Plunkett, I proposed making it mandatory all providers be required to offer recycling and trash as a single base service. Three other Council Members agreed.

That is the best answer for Peachtree City. It gets the cans out there, satisfying an argument that mandating containers encourages recycling, while preserving free market pressures to provide good, solid service or risk losing customers. It stops the inevitable complaint calls that would end up flooding City Hall, having to manage an opt out program, the need for Trash Police, forcing people on limited incomes, who were sharing services, etc, from taking on additional expenses, and more problems and issues that come with government mandated programs.

Education is the key to recycling, not legal mandate. You cannot force people to do what they do not wish to do. You have to persuade them. Please feel free to email Al Youngel at Keep PTC Beautiful at kptcb@peachtree-city.org or contact at::

Keep Peachtree City Beautiful
209 McIntosh Trail
Peachtree City, GA  30269

Telephone 770-632-3195
FAX 770-631-2533

Further, the next day I added a stipulation that all trucks must have drip/leak collection pans. That will eliminate the bulk of the mess issues.

The claim a single provider would stop oil and hydraulic fluid leaks by allowing solid identification of the offender never did work for me. You cannot prove the hauler was responsible unless you see the leak happen, which would apply to any hauler, single provider or not.

As for the issue of multiple trucks being eliminated from the roads., first of all, every service requires a truck, so trash and recycling equals two trucks, not one. So trucks on the road will increase for some, even under a single provider. For those who have multiple providers driving through, getting together with your neighborhood and agreeing on a single provider solves that issue and preserves market service quality pressures. Further, group negotiations with providers can give reduced price. Again, pressure that if one does not give a quantity discount another will.

Market pressure works. The next morning I was contacted by a provider who said that after the meeting they went to their executives and now they will change their program for Peachtree City to provide recycling with trash at the same cost.

A final note is that the single provider system would have had an almost immediate increase in pricing. It was stated, in the plan, that if greater than a 2% opt out occurred pricing would need to go up. Far more than 2% would opt out due to all the homes that already combine service with neighbors or have other arrangements.

Moving on to the Wieland rezoning request. We have hundreds of homes currently for sale and probably more than the number for sale that either could not sell or could not sell for enough money that are now empty, rented or have owners trapped in them until they can sell. Add to this home values are down and declining. so adding more inventory would simply drive values down more. Also, the requested density is higher than anything else in Peachtree City and I believe higher than has ever been requested before.

Even if we needed homes I would not vote for this plan and density. Even further, Wieland has withdrawn from the Carolinas, has cut operations about 60% and has no intention of doing anything on the 89 Acres for a good number of years to come.

This begs the question of why is Wieland pushing for this rezoning and plan approval at this time? To just get past the issue, which would not be the case since after some number of years pass they would return to adjust the plans to new market and cost conditions. Is it because he believes the next few Councils, at least, will be less willing to grant it than this one? Looking at the last election that is a reasonable reality. Or because he wants to sell the property to gain liquidity? Having such a rezoning, or one to retail, would make the property more marketable. But selling in this economy? Questionable. Or some other reason?

So, I oppose the rezoning request. There is no justification for this Council to handcuff a future Council, regarding this property, and the property can remain zoned as is until it is known exactly what the best use is, by need, for this property. If determined to get it out of industrial zoning, I might consider Office/Institution or Estate Residential, meaning 3 acre minimum size per home. Educational, technology, medical and similar usages are good for Peachtree City and residents, of Centennial and elsewhere, I have spoken with, are not opposed to such usage, but are opposed to what Wieland is proposing.

On another subject, we have been working on ordinance changes. Doug and I began the push in January and I have been lead on much of the changes. Currently I have pushed many changes for GC (General Commercial, as in retail areas) and LUC (Limited Use Commercial, as in retail areas but with extras allowed). But on the issue of capping the height in general retail areas, some on Planning and Mayor Logsdon are in opposition to the cap. Logsdon has said we lack space for more office space and capping at 35' hinders getting what we need.

But the fact is an office building in Wisdom Point is virtually empty and has been since construction. Last I heard over 100,000 sq' of office space would be available in West Park the beginning of next year, there is more construction in West Park and there are empty buildings in the Industrial Park. Not to mention about 125 acres of pristine land in Wilksmoor.

As for the path across the CSX on 54, we will have approval in about 6 months. But then we will probably see the grant money pulled. So we are looking into completing the path ourselves, which means spending Peachtree City money.

On the Wilshire area new retail construction, I am happy to see discussion between GDOT, Peachtree City Staff and others resulting in agreements that will give us back 20' of buffers. But I still remain concerned that more safeguards being built into agreements and approvals with developers to give more protection to Peachtree City has not been a standard operation procedure.

Finally, an update on the Line Creek traffic light. It is still under consideration, but, remains in violation of GDOT standards and thus requires an exemption. But an exemption requires minimal left turn traffic at the light, which it will never have.

Odds are good it will be denied. But that, I expect, will have CCD coming back and wanting to do a connection just to Planterra Way, not the full route to Huddleston, as in the 2001 LCI (Livable Centers Initiative). From what I can tell from what I have heard, that would also be insufficient to deal with the additional traffic load.

That area of 54 is rated D/F, meaning it is failing to meet minimum needs for traffic. As GDOT has noted, adding that light will make the situation even worse, not better. GDOT has recommended closing the median and adding connections to both the McDuff light, via the Shoppes, and Planterra Way. But even those numbers do not allow for the traffic impact of the The Shoppes when completed. Nor is a connection to McDuff doable unless the deed restriction on the land between The Shoppes and CCD is lifted by Pathways.

As for ACC, all is very much up in the air at this time. We are waiting for more information from ACC.

At the same time other potential employers are being pursued or communicated with by the Peachtree and Fayette County development authorities. Anyone who has any knowledge or leads to potential new companies for Peachtree City are encouraged to contact DAPC directly, or I am willing to pass information along to them for you as well.

These are tough times and Peachtree City is not immune. But we are in far better shape than many other communities and can weather this storm if we approach things wisely.

donhaddix.com

NCR Expansion

On October 28th I attended the announcement of the NCR Expansion, at the State Capital, along with Council Members Doug Sturbaum, Cyndi Plunkett, Mayor Logsdon, Senator Ronnie Chance and Representative Matt Ramsey.

This expansion adds 560 jobs to the Peachtree City NCR facility, beginning in 2009, after a $12 million investment to accommodate a Center of Excellence Customer Care Center and training facility to train about 127 employees for employment throughout the nation per month.

We warmly welcome this expansion and NCR's trust and view that we are the community which will best service their needs in these areas for North America. NCR is a long time corporate citizen who we hope will continue to see Peachtree City as more than a place to set up shop but, as well, a place to live, shop, raise families and retire when the time comes.

Success like this comes via the work of multiple layers of development authorities, from State to local levels, working together. It illustrates why Doug Sturbaum and I have made a Peachtree City development authority a priority in our agendas and why I took on the role of DAPC liaison to take that authority off the shelf and aid it in becoming a viable body to fulfill a needed role for Peachtree City.

DAPC is proving itself daily, not only in its own workings, but in working with the Fayette County Development Authority and other agencies and organizations throughout Georgia.

It also comes from taking pride in the uniqueness of Peachtree City, where the corporate world can live in a Village environment, which we see as the best of both worlds.

Peachtree City is at a nexus between the past and the future. This is a step on the road, in a vision some of us see, for the making the next 50 years as successful as the last 50 years. We will continue to pursue this vision.

August Update for PTC

As a general overview for key issues going on in PTC government:

• Finalizing our budget. Cuts and delays in some spending allow us to not do a millage increase for 2009 while a slight property tax valuation increase will increase taxes about 36 cents per $100,000 of home value. In example, a $250,000 home will pay 88 cents more.
• The Publix and Steinmart shopping centers on 54 are in the process of being annexed into PTC.
• The county property islands created by the last Wilksmoor annexation are in the process of being annexed in. This is required to bring PTC into compliance with state regulations barring such islands.
• The Wieland request for lifting the Multi-Family Housing Moratorium on his 89 Acres in Wilksmoor for planning purposes only passed 3-2 with Sturbaum and Haddix opposing.. The reason for lifting as being needful for planning ACC is false, since they are not the same zoning and nothing ACC is being allowed on the 89 by Wieland. The reason of just being able to plan but not meaning being rezoned is one Doug Sturbaum and I do not accept. You don't plan for what you do not intend to build. Nor do you lift the Moratorium unless you intend to allow them to build.
• ACC is moving forward. We have a good deal of confidence we will receive the college.
• Doug Sturbaum and I continue to push for ordinance revisions to enact the PTC Comprehensive Plan as law. There have been a number of successes to date but we fully understand some major issues will have to wait until we gain at least one more vote on Council, as in removing the Special Use Permit from the Big Box ordinance that was added in 2006 to allow building Big Boxes, which PTC do not want.
• A referendum was passed to allow Dar Thompson to pursue getting permission from the voters to build a Sports Complex, which would include two ice rinks. Council neither supports or opposes this referendum. It is an issue solely between Dar Thompson and the voters.
• Issues of double taxation are moving more to the forefront between PTC and Fayette County. While we respect the County's right to decide it budgets it must be recognized PTC can no longer be viewed as a funding source for County wide programs.
• Growing cooperation between the PTC Police Department and the Sheriff's Department are a real plus not only for PTC but the whole County.
• Golf Cart Path issues are an important issue and are being addressed.
• Drugs and crime. We want to stop these issues before they grow. It will be an ongoing effort.
• I continue to work DAPC to seek new business to fill our vacant retail spaces and to attract educational, research and technical institutions to PTC.

There is a lot to be done. It will take time and change of will and purpose by some in government to succeed.

54 West CCD - Round 3

It appears after the Council Meeting, as described in my last post on this issue, another permit request was submitted... and again denied.

The rejection this time said:

• The spacing is approximately 800'.
  
• Minimum required spacing is 1,000'.
• The plans needs to be reevaluated and include alternatives such as:
• Right in/right out only access to 54.
• Connections to the McDuff and Planterra Way lights.
• Closing the median strip on 54.
• Combinations of the above.
• The above options would provide safer traffic circulation within the development and reduce impact on 54.
• The revised study and plan must be approved by Peachtree City.
• A plan approved by Peachtree City must then be submitted to and approved by the GDOT along with a driveway permit application.

Here are issues with these options:

• Right in/Right only only:
• Would require a U-Turn for west bound traffic to access the site.
• Makes exiting the site more difficult and dangerous in heavy traffic.
• Drivers wanting to go to Walmart, etc., would have to cross traffic to the get to the turn lane in a very short driving distance. There will be accidents.
• How many Big Boxes would rent in at a site with no light? Or stay over time?
  
• Connecting to the Planterra Way issues:
• Would only go to Planterra Way, not Huddleston.
• Would promote cut through traffic in Planterra.
• Right in/right on only on Planterra Way has already been deemed too dangerous.
• Connecting to McDuff:
•  Forces west bound entry and east bound exit traffic to be on 54 longer.
• Offers no traffic relief, as the Secondary Road to Huddleston would, thus promoting future cut through traffic on Planterra Way.

There are also the issue that the Special Use Permit was conditioned upon getting the light and the road abandonment upon getting the Special Use Permit.

As said before, this is far from over.

54 West CCD Revisited

In my last posting I said:

I read into the minutes the following email forwarded to Councilman Sturbaum and me by a constituent:

In response to your inquiry xxxxxxxxxxx submitted on 6/6/2008 12:26:57 PM to Georgia Department of Transportation:

xxxxxxxxxxx,

Thank you for contacting YOUR Georgia Department of Transportation.

Our District Traffic Operations Engineer spoke with a consultant from A and R Engineering last September; October concerning this area and the installation of another traffic signal. This intersection of Line Creek Drive and Hwy 54 in Peachtree City sits between two existing traffic signals. Adding another signal to this area would not meet with our guidelines for spacing requirements between two signals, a minimum of 1000 feet. The consultant was offered different suggestions at the initial meeting and has not made another request to Georgia DOT for the installation of a traffic signal at this mentioned location.

Again, we thank you for submitting your inquiry to the Georgia DOT. Please continue to contact us with your comments and questions.

Thanks,

Constituency Services
Georgia DOT

So, you can see this issue may be far from over.

According to another independent source GDOT has again confirmed no light will be granted and that in fact CCD has not filed for again for a permit to install a light.

But Doug McMurrain, of CCD, at the Council Meeting, said it is still in process and could take up to 9 months for approval.

Obviously, this issue is not over and there will be follow up work to do. Some efforts are being pursued to gain access to the light for The Shoppes at the Piazzas, which, without a light at Line Creek, opens up another set of issues, including CCD asking to build a portion of the South Secondary Road to connect to Planterra Way, which Cardiff Park and some in Planterra Park oppose.

Bottom line is the Special Use Permit is not a done deal yet, a Secondary Road to Huddleston is far from off the table, the status of the Road Abandonment is now in question and what kind of development will occur on the CCD property is unknown, if any at all ends up being built.

A lot of questions without any real answers at this point in time.

54 West CCD Approved

At the Peachtree City Council Meeting on June 19th the controversial CCD development Special Use Permit proposal was approved. Some key points in the agreement were:

• 175,000 sq' allowed. That is 25,000 above ordinance.
• Two Big Boxes were in the plan. None are allowed in the ordinance.
• $500,000 is to be paid to Peachtree City for abandoning Line Creek.
• Per efforts by Councilman Doug Sturbaum and myself the plan was redesigned to allow for easy attachment of a Secondary Road that would extend from CCD to Huddleston Road via Fulton Court.
  
• CCD would be allowed to proceed with grading and construction of berms, landscaping etc, pending approval of a light at the intersection of Line Creek and 54.
• If the light is not granted the berms and such would remain. This would be at CCD cost, not city cost.

I read into the minutes the following email forwarded to Councilman Sturbaum and me by a constituent:

In response to your inquiry xxxxxxxxxxx submitted on 6/6/2008 12:26:57 PM to Georgia Department of Transportation:

xxxxxxxxxxx,

Thank you for contacting YOUR Georgia Department of Transportation.

Our District Traffic Operations Engineer spoke with a consultant from A and R Engineering last September; October concerning this area and the installation of another traffic signal. This intersection of Line Creek Drive and Hwy 54 in Peachtree City sits between two existing traffic signals. Adding another signal to this area would not meet with our guidelines for spacing requirements between two signals, a minimum of 1000 feet. The consultant was offered different suggestions at the initial meeting and has not made another request to Georgia DOT for the installation of a traffic signal at this mentioned location.

Again, we thank you for submitting your inquiry to the Georgia DOT. Please continue to contact us with your comments and questions.

Thanks,

Constituency Services
Georgia DOT

So, you can see this issue may be far from over.

If the light is rejected then CCD must return to Council with a new plan. What rights he retains from the agreement made with CCD in a 3-2 vote remains to be seen.

My concern is where this development will end up at the end of the process. Even with a light I believe this development is too big and Big Boxes are not good for Peachtree City.

The approval was 3-2, as follows:
For:
Mayor Harold Logsdon
Councilman Steve Boone
Councilwoman Cyndi Plunkett
Against:
Councilman Doug Sturbaum
Councilman Don Haddix

When noted in prior debates Peachtree City already had a glut of empty retail, that position was challenged. Councilman Sturbaum and I surveyed the largest retail centers and found an overall 19.1% store front vacancy rate, with Wilksmoor units by the developer proposing the above approved plan having a 34.89% vacancy rate on already existing stores.

I also noted Coweta was building too much retail and had a huge vacancy problem. Which was also challenged. But in a report by Southeast Real Estate Business it was said:

Counties with vacancy over the 20 percent level include Coweta, Paulding, Spalding, Hall, and Clayton; Douglasville also has a vacancy rate over 20 percent.

I understand the right of a developer to build within ordinance. I do not understand giving the right to build extra beyond ordinance when many locales that operated under the thinking of 'more is better' have found out it is not and are trying to change to the Village concept, which Peachtree City was founded upon.

We need to return to the Village concept with a realistic approach to the future concerning local employers to allow people to live, work and retire in Peachtree City. Retail employment will not meet that goal.

ACC - Making the Final Two

Dean Collins appeared at the Peachtree City Council Meeting on May 15th
to announce Peachtree City and Newnan were the final two choices for
relocation. The whole Council and citizens attending the meeting were
very pleased to hear this great news.

Mark Hollums, Doug Sturbaum and I were grateful the work done to date
has moved us forward in the process.. We have high hopes and reasonable
expectations Peachtree City will be picked as ACC's new home.

Much work ahead but we are all willing to roll up our sleeves and get
back to work.

This would be a great gain for our fair city.

CCD 54W Development

The CCD 54W Development once again is returning to Council for vote.

As background, in a 3-2 vote Council abandoned parts of Line Creek drive
and Circle to enable a larger development on the site. They also allowed
planning for development that requires Special Exceptions to build Big
Boxes and more footage than our Big Box Ordinance allows outright. As in
39,000 and 42,000 square feet when the cap is 32,000 per building and
175,000 total feet when the cap is 150,000. So the site is big and dense
for its actually size.

So why allow extras when Peachtree City has many years worth of empty
retail space? How can it make sense?

If not the total reason a big reason is the budget. As we all know the
economy is way down, thus our city income is way down as well. So,
building footage increases the Tax Digest and collects some one time
fees plus adds property tax collection, thus helping the budget in the
short term.

The problem with this is that without increasing the consumer base,
meaning more people spending money in Peachtree City, there are no
increases in sales. So we end up with more empty retail space because
businesses cannot operate unless they make enough profit. As well
infrastructure and service costs to Peachtree City increase while there
is no gain to our largest revenue source, sales tax, thus those short
term budget gains turn into long term losses.

Put the simplest way, we gain some short term money at a long term loss
by adding empty buildings to Peachtree City.

Please remember, the Shoppes at the Piazzas, next door to this site, is
currently under construction and adding a lot of new space as well.