Officials point to Pinewood Studios, public art, fire station
Fayette County officials released a report in mid-December listing a number of achievements that took place in the county during the past year.
“Once again, the significant progress with reinvigorating the county government continued throughout the year of 2014,” the report stated. “The progress continued with no increase in taxes and a millage rate decrease.”
The opening of Pinewood Studios in January was called “what is soon to be the largest economic development project in Fayette County.” The statement also noted that Pinewood recently announced plans to double its capacity here in the near future.
Officials said that 2014 “was good for public art in Fayette County,” starting with the replacement of two billboards at the county administrative offices and the formation of a public art committee. Recent art projects include the mural at the Crosstown Water Treatment Facility in Peachtree City and the first annual Scarecrow Competition.
The county’s high school internship program, in its second year, was called “one of the best of its kind in Georgia” as students worked on projects ranging from historic site restoration to golf cart routes and fluoride in the county water system.
Other accomplishments for 2014 include:
• The Fayette County Extension Office enrolling 987 young people in 4-H and hosting more than 200 camp attendees.
• The opening of Fire Station 3, a $1.8 million facility in Tyrone, with a new emergency operations center set to open in January.
• An upgrade in the county’s Standard and Poor bond rating from AA+ to AAA, the highest rating assigned, along with a certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting.
• The passage of new golf cart usage and registration ordinances, with registration of carts in the unincorporated county to begin in January.
• The circulation of 10,471 downloadable audio books through the county’s library as well as 98,300 computer sessions logged.
• A collaboration between the library and the federal government on a first-ever naturalization ceremony last April where 104 immigrants became U.S. citizens.
• Nearly 600 classes and programs administered by the Recreation Department.
• Permits for 156 single-family residents in the unincorporated county.
• Completion of the Kenwood Road bridge replacement in early 2014.
• Formal support from the Georgia Department of Transportation of the partial cloverleaf design for the I-85/Hwy. 74 interchange, along with increased funding and efforts to accelerate the timetable for completion of the project.
• Autonomous vehicle testing on local roads, for which Fayette is said to be one of the first counties in the nation.
• The start of repairs on the Emerald Lake and Longview Road dams.
• Completion of the Brittany Way stormwater project, the first one accomplished using stormwater funds.
• Collaboration with the Fayette Humane Society on a new trap-and-release neutering program for stray cats.
• A new self-serve online tool for customers to access their Water System accounts.
• An agreement to work with Peachtree City on issues relating to Lake Peachtree.
• The creation of the 74 Gateway Coalition with Fairburn, Peachtree City and Tyrone “to support initiatives of common interest along the transportation corridor.”
