Peachtree City is looking

at a major expansion and renovation project to meet

expected administrative facility needs through buildout,

and it could begin this week.

The City Council has been

advised by its staff to adopt a facilities plan that

includes the construction of a new police station along

with renovation of City Hall and the Public Works

building. The plan was to be considered at last night's

council meeting.

The $2.1 million plan is

one of three options discussed at last winter's city

retreat. Other possible plans include the expansion of

the Public Works building, which would allow a

reconfiguration of City Hall and the existing police

station, or adding 8,000 square feet to the northern end

of the City Hall/police complex. The Peachtree City

Police Department is now headquartered in the lower level

of City Hall.

Under the plan being

recommended, a new 14,000-sq. ft. police station would be

built on a 5.5-acre site between Ga. Highway 74 and the

Flat Creek wastewater treatment plant. That property was

purchased using funds from the fiscal 1999 budget and the

cost of the land is not included in the estimated cost of

the new facility.

This move would allow the

Building Department, Planning and Engineering to move

downstairs into the current police offices, after minor

reconfiguration of City Hall and the Public Works

building. City officials expect this move to meet the

space needs of every department, while keeping a

consolidated Developmental Services in a location readily

accessible to City Hall staff. The Building Department is

currently on McIntosh Trail next to Public Works.

The first option considered

- expanding the Public Works building - was

seen as only a temporary solution, with the Police

Department still looking at a future space problem

requiring either reconstruction of its present facility

or the addition of a satellite precinct office. The

Police Department prefers a single, centralized office.

The possible relocation of

Developmental Services to another facility also was

deemed a disadvantage due to lost access to City Hall.

The second option was

rejected because the city believes it does not adequately

address parking issues. Adding the Building Department

staff to the City Hall site without removing the Police

Department would worsen an already strained parking

situation. Adding parking spaces at Picnic Park, behind

the police station, would reduce that facility's

recreational amenities as well as its status as a buffer

between various developments.

City staff has recommended

that the Georgia Municipal Association Bricks and Mortar

Lease Program be used to finance the facilities project.

The entire estimated cost

under this plan is $2.14 million, including underwriting

and legal fees. This would amount to about $210,000 per

year for a 15-year lease.

The other financing option

explored by the city, general obligation bonds, came out

at a slightly higher total - $2.2 million for the

project, or $212,000 in annual debt service.

The main difference between

the two plans is that the bonds would require a

referendum, while the GMA program would not require voter

approval. This would allow the city to move forward more

quickly, provided the facilities plan is approved.

"Based on the fact

that many of the city's administrative facilities are

already cramped and overcrowded, the sooner this project

can move forward the better," according to the

staff's written proposal.

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