Peachtree City Council Meeting–what’s the ten year plan?

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The January 16 meeting of the Peachtree City Council was largely a celebration of success and progress in Peachtree City, demonstrated by Mayor Kim Learnard’s State of the City, which acknowledged the investments that Peachtree City has made in its future, noting that the government’s strategy of increasing pay and benefits for public safety officials has led to a fully-staffed police and fire department.   Learnard highlighted that the largest transportation improvement project in Fayette County History is currently taking place at the intersection of Highway 54 and Highway 74, at the heart of the city.  This project will add dedicated right-turn lanes for south-bound travelers on 74 looking to turn right and go west.  The speech also referenced the city’s growing economy, with vacant storefronts being filled- what was once a shuttered Stein Mart is now a small business known as B. Turner’s, for instance- and the city’s airport, living standard, and quality of workforce earning the Economic Development Award from the South Metro Development Outlook Conference in March 2024.

Besides having an excellent economy, Peachtree City continues to be one of the safest cities in Georgia.  Learnard highlighted the city’s award-winning police department, with a 22% decrease in Part One crimes from last year.  Police Chief Janet Moon and Lieutenant Brad Williams are also in the process of investigating one of the most modern types of crime: cryptocurrency scams.  Local law enforcement have been able to recover thousands of dollars for victims of online crypto crime, and are working on programs to help educate citizens on these nefarious scams.

My personal favorite location in Peachtree City- our library- recently celebrated its 50th birthday on October 8th with a coffee bar, crafts, music, and a local author expo.  The Peachtree City library has the second-highest circulation in the PINES network, and is working on expanding its reach by adding art exhibits, children’s programs, and visits from authors.

Pickleball seems to be all the rage this year in Peachtree City, as a new freestanding pickleball facility is being built on the south side of the city, and what was once a shut-down K-Mart at Crosstown Drive will soon become indoor pickleball courts.  The new recreation master plan will aim to include a total of 24 municipal pickleball courts, among several other improvements in the recreational facilities of Peachtree City.  Other propositions include improvements to the Braelinn recreation center, a pickleball court at the Rockaway compost site, and restrooms added on Battery Way.

Of course, Rome was not built in a day, and it will take time to implement the proposed recreation plan.  Sue Reed brought in questions asking about the exact timeline of the plan, and her question was answered as the plan’s adoption was brought up for debate among the city council: during which it was confirmed that the plan is meant to stretch over ten years.  Officials emphasized the fact that citizens need to know that just because the plan is adopted, every single project contained in the plan will not get done.  However, the goal is to implement significant improvements to the city’s recreational facilities over the next decade.