An unused cart path tunnel under MacDuff Parkway is in danger of remaining mothballed for a bit longer.
With a $145,000 cost estimate for a connecting path to the McIntosh Village shopping center, the Peachtree City Council plans to review all other capital projects to see if the money could be better spent.
Council did approve proceeding with land acquisition for the project, but there is some question as to whether the project might lose its remaining $116,000 in funding.
In the meantime, the unused tunnel had a significant amount of graffiti spray painted on its walls as of Thursday morning, as well as some trash on the ground such as soda bottles and the like. The unanswered question is whether the increase in traffic for the tunnel, if the path is built, would be enough to deter graffiti vandals.
To complete the tunnel, the city will need to find an extra $29,325 in the budget to complete it.
Without the path, residents west of MacDuff Parkway can still access the shopping center through a cart path connection in Cedarcroft. But doing so requires crossing MacDuff Parkway at street level, putting golf carts and other path users in direct conflict with cars.
Mayor Don Haddix noted that the city hopes one day to extend MacDuff Parkway northward to Ga. Highway 74, which will significantly increase traffic and the peril to those crossing on the path at street level.
“Traffic on MacDuff is going to increase dramatically,” Haddix said, adding that the tunnel will also be key for the planned, but as-yet unfunded, “gateway” cart path bridge across Ga. Highway 54 near the city limits.
Councilwoman Kim Learnard said she is leaning toward approving the necessary path for the tunnel in part because she doesn’t want to see the project lose momentum.
Haddix suggested for city staff to see if Cedarcroft developer Mike Rossetti still planned to donate some $10,000 toward the project. Cedarcroft residents stand to benefit from reduced traffic through their subdivision, as the cart path there has a large volume of traffic from citizens going to the Walmart and Home Depot stores.
The easement for the path is needed from Camden Apartments, and the city has agreed to work with Camden on landscaping and erecting a fence along the path to prevent wayward path users from wandering onto the apartment property.
The design, which is the cheapest option explored by the city, won a consensus approval from council.
Councilman Eric Imker suggested that council could divert the funds to another path project if it saw fit, and he wants to investigate that possibility.
The project could conceivably be delayed until either MacDuff Parkway is extended or if the gateway path bridge is ever built, Imker noted.
One benefit of building the path is the potential increase in business for the shops in McIntosh Village that are close to MacDuff Parkway, said Councilwoman Vanessa Fleisch.
New Councilman George Dienhart said he too would like to see the prioritized list of capital projects because he was having a hard time seeing this “as the most important capital project right now.”
