A new manufacturing facility that would relocate to south Peachtree City and bring 165 jobs is asking to be annexed into Peachtree City’s southern border.
A new manufacturing facility that would relocate to south Peachtree City and bring 165 jobs is asking to be annexed into Peachtree City’s southern border.
In addition to bringing jobs to the area, the as-yet unnamed company will also be locating on a parcel of land that is currently zoned for a rather large shopping center and office complex at Ga. Highway 74 south and Redwine Road.
The company is relocating from another area and plans to spend $7 million on the building alone with another $2.55 million in equipment for the facility.
The plan calls for a 142,000 square foot building that will serve as a corporate headquarters and production facility, according to the annexation application filed on behalf of the unnamed company.
The company will conduct light metal fabrication along with electrical, welding, grinding, refrigeration, woodworking and other trades which will be performed in-house, the application said.
The production process does not produce any emissions or excessive noise, according to the application. The building is being designed to leave room for a future expansion.
The unidentified company has been operating for 63 years and is a third-generation family owned business that has an average employee tenure of 22 years.
Peachtree City Mayor Don Haddix said the building will be more than 1,000 feet away from the nearest subdivision which is located in unincorporated Fayette County.
Should it come to fruition and be annexed by the city council, it would prevent the 77-acre site from being used as currently zoned for the large shopping center that was approved by the county commission in 2000.
That rezoning drew the ire of Peachtree City officials, particularly because the shopping center would be located so close to the existing Wilshire Pavilion shopping center. This annexation would in essence eliminate that threat, as the current city council has expressed significant concern about the number of empty commercial establishments that exist inside the city limits.
Should the annexation be approved, the city would rezone the property to the necessary zoning category. In this case the unnamed applicant is asking for a light industrial zoning.
The company will operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for office personnel and from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday for skilled production personnel. Truck deliveries are estimated to be from 10-25 per week and will be limited to business hours only.
The planning commission will get first crack at the proposal and will forward a vote to city council as to whether it will or will not recommend the rezoning. The final rezoning power rests with the city council.
Haddix said he is familiar with the company’s owner, having known him professionally for a number of years.
Peachtree City Community Development Director David Rast said he will be requesting more information from the applicant to finalize the first step of the annexation process.
That first step involves the proposal first going to the city council, which must decide if the concept is worth pursuing. If that approval is given, then city staff will work with the developer in more detail to flesh out the plan before a final vote is taken on the annexation proposal.
