The Peachtree City Council Thursday night agreed to explore a potential 77-acre annexation of property on Ga. Highway 74 South to house a new manufacturing facility.
The company, Low Temp, is currently in Jonesboro and manufactures kitchen equipment for use in hospitals, restaurants and schools across the nation, according to Ben Casey, the third generation in his family to work with the company.
Council’s approval allows Low Temp to begin working directly with city staff, which will analyze the proposal and provide a recommendation to City Council.
Low Temp is looking at building on undeveloped land at the city’s southern limit off Ga. Highway 74 across from Redwine Road. The annexation, if approved, would also require a rezoning to an industrial classification.
Meanwhile, council unanimously jumped at the chance to consider a different use for the property, which is currently located in unincorporated Fayette County and zoned for a combined shopping center and office complex. That zoning, which happened back in 2000, was opposed by the city based on the proximity of the Wilshire Pavilion less than a half mile to the north which at the time was in its infancy.
Low Temp expects to bring 165 jobs to the city and their new site will allow them to improve efficiency and also have room to grow.
Councilman Doug Sturbaum said the development would protect the natural buffers on the site and also the adjacent subdivision in unincorporated Fayette County.
Councilwoman Vanessa Fleisch said she was also in favor, but she asked if the company had looked into any of the city’s existing vacant industrial space.
Casey said the company had done so but was unable to find a building that would meet the company’s need for size, flow and expansion potential.
“We actually couldn’t find a site without the help of the mayor because we couldn’t find it in your inventory,” Casey said.
The unanimous motion approving the step 1 annexation application does not guarantee that the annexation will ultimately be approved.
