When the

subject of spending Peachtree City money for preliminary

design work on the northwest corner of Ga. Highway 54 and

Walt Banks Road came up at the July 1 City Council

meeting, some council members wondered if it was worth

the effort.

Mayor Bob

Lenox is proceeding with the acquisition of such a plan,

city spokesperson Betsy Tyler said Tuesday. Although

Lenox can spend the suggested $7,000 without City Council

approval, he wished to bring it before that body for

discussion and, hopefully, come to a consensus on it.

Recent

meetings among land owners and potential developers at

the site have left a sour taste in some mouths,

specifically Councilwoman Annie McMenamin.

"I'm

starting to think the city's playing by itself

here," she said. "We will just be wasting

money."

She said

that Bill Lassiter, who owns 33 of the 73 acres on the

overall tract, has shown almost no desire to compromise

on any aspect of the project.

Lassiter's

attorney, Doug Dillard, had said at the June 24 meeting

of the "task force" that he had been instructed

not to come to any more of the meetings because of

Lassiter's displeasure at the idea of putting more

residential property into the tract and taking away some

of his office-institutional land.

Lassiter

himself has been out of the country during much of the

past month, making almost no contact with the city and

very little with his own attorney before Dillard's

statement.

"He

has turned his back on compromise," McMenamin said

of Lassiter. "He has a certain profit margin he will

not back away from."

Councilman

Jim Pace also was against spending the money, which was

suggested to be an amount not to exceed $7,000. But he

had a different reason than McMenamin.

"This

sets a very bad precedent, spending taxpayer money to

develop private property," said Pace. "It's the

developer's or land owner's responsibility."

Mayor Bob

Lenox replied that the city of Fayetteville had done the

same thing - developing a plan for a piece of

property and shopping the various parcels to developers

based on the approved plan. Lenox also pointed out that

whenever a developer spends his or her own money on a

plan, it will be to make the most money, not necessarily

to do what's best for the city.

He

reiterated what had been said several times in the past

month: Peachtree City has spent hundreds of thousands of

dollars over the years defending litigation concerning

this property, and it's time to spend a little money and

do something positive.

Pace said

that there are creative solutions that do not require

taxpayer money. He suggested looking to the experts at

Georgia Tech for help in developing a plan.

Lenox

suggested that time is of the essence. "If we let

the window of opportunity go, Dillard will file again for

rezoning," he said.

Dillard and

Lassiter can legally refile after six months have passed

since the previous application, which was denied in

January concerning the proposed Mews development.

At the June

24 meeting, Dillard said he would likely seek a reduction

in the buffer on Hwy. 54 from the 100-foot minimum now

stipulated to 60 feet, which is what the city ordinance

requires. He will also ask for a right-in/right-out

access drive from the highway onto the property.

Of

particular concern to the city is the fact that Lassiter

can now develop the property commercially, with the

current zonings and the current restrictions, into

something profitable to him that may or may not be in the

city's best interests.

There was

speculation that if the city denied the new rezoning

request, the matter would be hauled right back into

court.

Councilman

Robert Brooks asked if the stipulations Dillard wished to

change were not in the settlement agreement, and if he

had any grounds to challenge what had previously been

agreed to in court.

City

attorney Rick Lindsey said that the restrictions were

part of the settlement agreement. "That's our best

defense" in litigation, he said.

As for the

$7,000 to be spent on a design plan, it was pointed out

several times that although Lenox presented it to the

City Council for consideration, he did not have to. City

ordinances allow him to spend that much without any City

Council approval.

Also, two

other people who control portions of the property -

Paul Heard and Bob Adams - have expressed an

interest in developing a master plan and possibly

contributing financially to get it done.

Adams

recently had 20 acres rezoned for a cluster-home

community at the northernmost end of the tract.

Lenox

stressed that any potential disagreements about the use

of the property could possibly be ironed out with a

master plan, but it would be more difficult to agree on

anything without a tangible plan to look at.

Lindsey

suggested that the city do what Lassiter has essentially

done, which is ask for a show of good faith on the other

side.

No action

was taken by the City Council on the matter. Lenox said

he would contact Lassiter and Dillard and then make a

decision.

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