The question of allowing tailgate parties with beer and

wine in the parking lot at Brown Amphitheater is now officially

as dead as last season's programs.

The Peachtree City Development Authority, which

supervises the amphitheater facility and Peachtree City Ttennis

Center, had asked City Council to consider allowing alcohol in the

parking lot prior to amphitheater events. The request was

withdrawn from the agenda for the Aug. 6 council meeting, and

on Monday the development authority decided not to puruse the

matter any further.

Authority member Bob Truitt told the members that city

council seemed "unlikely to approve" tailgate parties with liquor,

since the amphitheater adjoins some recreational facilities for

young people. He said that future discussions might include "looking

at alternatives, such as placing picnic tables near the old

cast house."

Authority chairman Tom Farr said he was unsure "what the

demand is" for tailgating with liquor. He agreed that the

authority should monitor the situation and "possibly revisit" the

question in the future.

Kristi Rapson, amphitheater manager, said the concession

and rest room area has been re-roofed after a hailstorm in the spring,

and summer rains, did extensive damage to the building. She also

said that since a facility manager has been hired to be on the

premises, "vandalism is non-existent ... we're not out there frantically

trying to scrub dirty words off the walls before a concert."

This year's concert series will be expanded to include

Saturday nights, she said, to give more opportunity for attending by

those who often have been locked out by the amphitheater's

limited seating capacity. Each group or performer will play for

two nights, she added, and she expects greatly increased ticket sales

for the popular series events.

"Spotlight concerts," not a paret of the series, "have not

done so well, but we will keep trying to bring in the ones that

make sense for us."

Virgil Christian, tennis center director, said the new clay

courts will be open by Sept. 10. The surfaces are finished but not

fenced or landscaped, he said. He said the water-conservation with

the new courts is "tremendous," and he hopes to attract more

seniors to play on the softer courts.

Authority member Tate Godfrey said the Peachtree

City Water and Sewer Authority "is discussiong some rate

changes that will affect all classifications of users." He asked that the

authority schedule a joint meeting with WASA, and Farr said

he would handle setting it up.

Foreign Trade Zone activity continues to increase,

Jim Cromwell said. Panasonic "has signed," he said, and the

paperwork is in progress.

Godfrey said that he and Tom Farr met recently with the

Georgia Foreign Trade Zone Board, and the meeting led to

agreements in handling Peachtree City issues."

"What we re-affirmed is that we will keep in better

communication, in order to assure the succes of attracting industry to

Georgia," Godfrey said.

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