A landscaping plan for Peachtree City’s new Walgreens pharmacy was approved by the planning commission June 13.
Almost as important as the new landscaping is what existing vegetation will remain on the site of the Ruby Tuesday restaurant. All the trees along Ga. Highway 54 and Peachtree Parkway will stay, except for perhaps one that may be hollow.
So while the 14,500 square foot pharmacy is three times the size of the former restaurant, it will be surrounded in large part by thriving established trees instead of newly planted but much smaller varieties that are typical with most new construction.
Specific attention will be paid to landscaping added the rear of the site, which abuts a neighborhood. One resident of the area told the planning commission that evergreen Magnolias were being taken down, and he asked the commission to make sure that evergreen trees are replanted along that area.
Community Development Director David Rast said that could be accomplished during a pre-installation site visit in which the various types of plants are designated a final location.
In addition to the larger existing trees, Walgreens will add smaller understory trees and other landscaping. For example, some existing ground vegetation along Hwy. 54 that doesn’t look as aesthetically pleasing will be replaced.
It also has been determined that only one of three mature trees separating the Walgreens from the adjacent Rite-Aid pharmacy will have to come out, having been damaged by the construction; the other two trees will remain.
Another major headache with the site has been the need to at times completely close cart path and vehicular access to the site, which cuts off access to a path leading to city hall and the library, along with the Rite-Aid.
The good news is that the rear area should be completed and paved in about a week and a half to alleviate that problem, said Scott Moore of United Retail, the developer that is building the site for Walgreens.
The reason for much of the construction delay was bad soil in that area, which is where an underground detention pond was being installed, Moore said.
The plans are for construction to be completed in October so Walgreens can open up in early November, Moore said.
