The Peachtree City Council has yet to render a decision on approving the expansion of city sewer by the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) to Tyrone. The Fayette County Chamber of Commerce has weighed in on the proposal by Tyrone, recommending that the council approve the request.
Tyrone has requested that WASA extend sewer up Ga. Highway 74 and have WASA sell 350,000 gallons per day of capacity. The Peachtree City Council in January opted to request additional information before a vote.
Meantime, the chamber board on Jan. 14 approved a measure that supports a contract between Peachtree City and Tyrone that would provide sewer to the town.
“From a county economic development perspective, having available land zoned appropriately with access to full utility infrastructure is critical. Tyrone has land capacity but currently contracts with Fairburn for sewer in limited amounts,” the chamber statement said. “By contracting with Peachtree City for sewer, the community has potential for job growth and tax revenue, as well as increased revenue for the Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority.”
The chamber statement noted that Tyrone is addressing growth through proactive initiatives such as planning documents, zoning ordinances and participation in the Ga. Highway 74 Gateway Coalition.
The chamber maintained that extending sewer to Tyrone would have a net positive effect on land in Peachtree City and surrounding areas of unincorporated Fayette County.
“This contract has the potential to act as a rate increase moratorium for Tyrone residents and a possible rate reduction for Peachtree City residents since the fixed costs for building the facility a few years ago would be shared among more ratepayers,” the statement said.
The chamber also noted that the Georgia Environmental Protection Division believes this change for Tyrone to purchase sewer from Peachtree City will reduce impacts to two river basins.
Tyrone, with a population of 7,000, has 250,000 gallons capacity from Fairburn/Fulton County and currently has 422 customers, of which 16 are non-residential. That contract expires in 2019. Tyrone’s average daily flow is 109,000 gallons per day.
The areas in Tyrone currently on sewer include the Southampton Village Shopping Center, Southampton subdivision, a second John Wieland subdivision on Hwy. 74 North, the new Fayette County fire station at Hwy. 74 and Jenkins Road along with Sandy Creek High, Flat Rock Middle and Burch Elementary, all on Jenkins Road.
Tyrone would also like to have enough capacity to develop areas of Senoia Road included in the downtown area on either side of Shamrock Park.
