Fayette County will formally explore the possibility of lowering the de facto age limit for driving golf carts outside city limits to match the range currently allowed by Peachtree City.
Thursday night, the County Commission authorized its attorney to look into the changes and bring a recommended ordinance change back to the commission for consideration at a future date.
One of the reasons cited for the change is to allow younger drivers with a learner’s permit to drive themselves to school at the Starr’s Mill High School complex, much like their counterparts at McIntosh High School.
School officials are receptive to allowing golf carts at Starr’s Mill once a dedicated path can be built leading to the school, Deputy School Superintendent Sam Sweat told the county commission.
“We know it’s coming, it’s just a matter of being able to fund it and take care of our kids and make sure everybody is on the same page,” Sweat said.
Another reason for changing the county’s cart driver age restrictions is to make it seamless for those who go back and forth between the unincorporated county and Peachtree City. To that end, Commission Chairman Steve Brown suggested the county talk with representatives with the cities of Tyrone, Fayetteville and Peachtree City to consider a reciprocal agreement to recognize each other’s registered carts.
High school intern Jason Girolami made the presentation about the issue to the commission, noting that unlike Peachtree City, the county currently does not issue individually-numbered decals or even register golf carts.
Numbering the carts with decals can help easily identify carts, which is helpful when they are stolen and recovered, Girolami noted.
Girolami said it could take around six months for attorneys involved in the matter to blend the golf cart ordinances together.
Several residents spoke in favor of the ordinance, and one pointed out that the county needs to examine a golf cart crossing between the Highgrove and Whitewater Creek subdivisions.
