Peachtree City retailers who sell package beer and wine may soon have the option of hosting wine tasting events.
An ordinance has been drafted by city staff that would allow wine tastings at establishments that already offer package beer and wine sales. Last month, a representative of the Kroger grocery company asked for the ordinance, saying that Kroger has had success in building wine sales through tasting events.
The City Council is expected to vote on the ordinance at its first meeting Thursday night.
Also on tap is the selection of a mayor pro tem, who runs the meetings in the absence of the mayor, and a bid to purchase nine new Chevrolet Caprice patrol cars for the police department.
In conjunction with the patrol vehicle purchase, city staff is also recommending that the city trade in 17 Ford Crown Victoria models in exchange for $35,500 to lower the price of the new patrol car acquisitions.
Of those 17 Crown Victorias marked for trade in, nine are being removed from the fleet because they are in poor repair and another eight were “acquired through the merging of departments, loss of position, and/or retained for use during the handling of a large paint recall from Ford.
All but three of the vehicles have eclipsed the standard 100,000 mile mark that is deemed to be the useful lifespan for vehicles capable of being driven safely at high speeds for emergency responders.
The city has budgeted $445,000 for the patrol vehicles, including the accessories that will be added after the vehicles are purchased such as video cameras, radios and graphics.
Council is also expected to approve the sale of the cul-de-sac and the end of Newgate Road to senior apartment developer NorSouth Development for $75,000. The .43 acre tract is not needed to access any other parcel off Newgate Road, the majority of which will remain in the city’s possession.
NorSouth also has to pay for the city’s appraisal and the legal process for the city abandoning the associated right-of-way. The Norsouth development will surround the entire cul-de-sac.
NorSouth will build 94 age-restricted apartments on the 5.6 acre tract, with at least 80 percent of its units set aside for tenants based on income guidelines, with an eligible tenant making no more than $30,100 a year for a one-bedroom unit and up to $34,400 for a two-bedroom unit.
The land was rezoned for the complex in March to resolve a lawsuit NorSouth filed against the city following a June 2010 decision by council to deny the rezoning.
Prior to the rezoning, the site was zoned limited use residential for a 21-unit luxury townhome project that never came to fruition as the economy ground many projects to a halt in 2007 and beyond.
