The Peachtree City Council on June 21 approved two Step One annexation requests for properties along both sides of Ga. Highway 54 on the city’s east side. If eventually approved by the council, the annexations would add more than 130 acres to the city and include the Peachtree East Shopping Center.
Above, the East 54 annexation parcels under consideration. Graphic/Peachtree City.
The annexations would extend the city limit past Governor’s Square on the eastbound side of Hwy. 54 and to Sumner Road on the westbound side.
City staff noted that the owners of 66 percent of the land area have signed the annexation petition, and the Fayette County Board of Elections has verified that there are no registered voters within the areas proposed for annexation. Staff said the city has received no response from Publix or Steinmart on the annexation question.
One of the Step 1 annexation requests, by Ravin Homes, pertains to 105.5 acres (30 parcels) immediately north of the city limits beginning at the Peachtree Shopping Center and continuing to north of the Governor’s Square area to Autera Properties. The commercial areas are currently zoned Community Commercial or Highway Commercial by Fayette County. The 50-acre Ravin Homes property is zoned in the county for one-acre lots and is located toward the rear of the property.
Ravin representative Richard Ferry said the annexation would improve on the city’s village concept, adding that the potential 94 homes would support the commercial area. Initial plans for the residential component call for 24 acres of open space and a lot reserved for public safety.
The council vote to approve the Step 1 portion of the request was 4-0, with Mayor Vanessa Fleisch recusing herself.
The second Step 1 annexation request came from Bradshaw Family LLP and pertains to 28.3 acres situated between Hwy. 54 and Sumner Road on the westbound side of the highway. The property currently carries a county zoning overlay district with an A-R (agricultural residential) designation. The annexation request calls for a mix of commercial, office and residential uses.
A breakdown of the proposal shows 10.5 acres for single-family residential (28 lots), 3.3 acres for office use (1-3 sites), 4.2 acres for commercial (2 sites), 1.4 acres for streets and 8.9 acres of open space. Homes are projected to be in the $450,000 range.
Project representative Jerry Petersen said the development might ask for an LUC (limited use commercial) designation, noting that the current plan is different from the plan submitted in 2014 and 2015. It was in August 2015 that Bradshaw withdrew that annexation request.
Fleisch in her comments expressed the concern that the city not replicate the commercial look of the eastbound side of Hwy. 54 onto the westbound side.
Commenting during the discussion, City Manager Jon Rorie said he would like to ensure that cart path connections would be installed in the project area.
The vote to approve the Step 1 annexation request was 5-0.
Rorie also restated an earlier position concerning the eventual need to have either a tunnel or a bridge constructed in the immediate area.
The requirement for annexation states that 60 percent of the owners of the land area and 60 percent of registered voters must sign the annexation petition.
The Annexation Review Process is a two-step process to evaluate annexation requests into Peachtree City. Step One is a review of how the existing and/ or proposed development may or may not be compatible with the established goals within the Peachtree City Comprehensive Plan. Council evaluates the application and determines if the city would consider the annexation. If a favorable recommendation is received, the applicant may begin Step Two of the process.
Step Two requires the submittal of detailed information as identified in the established rezoning process and state annexation law. The recommendation that the annexation request continue to Step Two in no way implies that the City Council will ultimately approve the rezoning and/or the annexation application.
