When I first moved to Peachtree City in early 1984, McIntosh Trail and Kelly Drive weren’t connected. Both dead ended at the spillway. Think about that for a minute. If you lived on Hip Pocket or in Clover Reach, you had to drive north on 74 to the 54/74 intersection, then take 54 East to Peachtree Parkway, then south to McIntosh Trail to go to Huddleston Elementary or the amphitheater. Almost a complete circle (or square in this case). My family lived on Boxwood Court in Clover Reach. Sure, we could walk the path at the end of the cul-de-sac to McIntosh Trail, but it was wooded and not paved all the way, hence you didn’t want to be on it before dawn or after dusk. My younger brother rode the bus to Huddleston Elementary every day, an approximate five-mile trip (ten miles round-trip), despite our house being a third of a mile away. Connecting McIntosh Trail with Kelly Drive may seem like a no-brainer today, but back in the 80s there was a great gnashing of teeth over the issue. Residents were concerned it would become a thoroughfare.
Back then, the cart path at the end of Boxwood Court crossed Flat Creek just below the spillway (and still does) and ended in a dirt path before reaching the dead end of McIntosh Trail. Once you reached McIntosh Trail you had two choices: 1) continue across McIntosh Trail onto the dirt path (through what is now Sweetwater Oaks and Lakewood) until you met the paved path behind the cul-de-sac at the end of Cove Road, or 2) drive up McIntosh Trail, turn left on Skiff Trace and left onto Bowfin Bay, following it all the way to the end where the paved path picked up. The path from Bowfin Bay now crosses Fishers Luck and meets up with the path that goes around the lake – which is where the dirt path from McIntosh Trail met the paved path. Do you follow me? I should mention that even though the dirt path in #1 was more direct, it was creepy, particularly one stretch past the spillway where a tall grassy hill appeared on your right if you were traveling north. We always pedaled fast through this section while riding our bikes.
Which brings me to Spyglass Island. That island wasn’t there until 1985/86, when Lake Peachtree was lowered to install an intake valve and dredged. The County and the City agreed to have the silt piled up instead of hauling it out. As you can imagine that decision was controversial as well. Our family didn’t particularly care about the island, but we did care about the dead fish after they lowered the lake and the creek below it dried up. I distinctly remember the stench of rotting fish on our street. We usually walked our dog, Dutch, around the top of the path at the end of the street and the smell was so bad that nobody wanted to walk him. I also remember my mother calling City Hall and telling the person on the other end of the line―who I suspect was Frances Meaders―that it “stunk to high heaven.”
The point of this little “remember when” story is this: progress often comes with some pain. Connecting McIntosh Trail with Kelly Drive made sense, but it undoubtedly came with a sting for some. On the flip side, the amphitheater probably wouldn’t have become the world-class outdoor venue that it is today without it, not to mention the showcase piano key weir, path bridge, and passive park that was constructed twenty years later. And that island of silt became Spyglass Island―an amenity that many residents enjoy.
A lot of things have changed over the years in Peachtree City, but in a lot of ways it’s still the same town. Read through the minutes from City Council meetings in the 80s and you’ll see familiar-sounding topics including talk of a controlled deer hunt, the pros and cons of road and path connectivity, the need for new technology for police officers, and increased fire protection.
Probably the biggest thing that hasn’t changed is Peachtree City’s track record for tackling difficult issues. Our residents and our elected leaders have a history of rising to the occasion. I admit, I’m an eternal optimist, but I hope you’ll agree with me that the proof’s in the pudding on this one.
Happy New Year!
