Two major

projects now in the planning stages in Peachtree City

have drawn the attention of a host of residents of two

nearby subdivisions.

The

citizens of the Sagamore and Belvedere communities made

their concerns known at last week's City Council meeting

in the form of a petition presented by Jerre Williams, a

resident of Sagamore Lane who spoke at the meeting.

The main

problem is traffic, as far as the 176 people who signed

the petition are concerned, particularly with the

development of another AMLI apartment complex in the

works and Line Creek Parkway also being planned to

possibly connect with Ga. Highway 74 sometime in the

future.

The

intersection of the north Kedron Drive loop and Hwy. 74

will be affected tremendously by the estimated 450 cars

added to the area as a result of the 216 planned

apartments, Williams said.

The

developers of the apartment complex want access limited

to the north Kedron loop, which the local residents

consider the root of the potential traffic problem.

Williams said access from Senoia Road is a common-sense

answer and would help the area greatly.

"We

seriously and sincerely request that the city require

AMLI to provide a one and only entrance/exit on Senoia

Road which will relieve Kedron Drive congestion and

provide a safer and smoother traffic flow for AMLI

renters," the petition stated.

The

petition went on to state that the city should

discontinue Line Creek Parkway.

"It

appears that those that will be accommodated are

basically the citizens of Coweta County, wherein those

inconvenienced and subjected to major traffic and safety

hazards will be those of us enjoying the good quality of

life in Peachtree City and those using state Hwy.

74," it read.

The parkway

is being planned to run north from Hwy. 54 on the western

edge of the city. If it is to become a reality and go all

the way to Hwy. 74, the petitioners feel it should

connect at the south Kedron loop or north of Kedron Drive

altogether, where there are fewer subdivision residents

affected.

Another

speaker took the apartment dwellers' point of view,

saying that those residents should want more than one

access point into their complex. He added that traffic at

that location will be like the intersection of Hwys. 54

and 74 if something is not done now, and the city will

have to fix it.

He

concluded his remarks by saying that bringing in Line

Creek Parkway at Senoia Road makes more sense. The way

the parkway is now configured, it would terminate well

before reaching Hwy. 74 because the land needed to go

farther is not in the city limits, and the proposed route

for extending the road was determined according to what

the city feels is the only suitable place to built a

railroad bridge.

Mayor Bob

Lenox said during the City Council discussion that having

only one entrance to an apartment complex often makes it

difficult for emergency services to do their jobs there,

although apartment developers as a rule like single

entrances for security reasons.

Jerry

Peterson of Pathway Communities said the original state

Department of Transportation plan was for Kedron Drive

and Senoia Road to meet, but a "bad plan" was

done instead. He added that the two roads need to meet

sometime in the future, and that the current Senoia

Road/Hwy. 74 interchange is not a good one.

Robert

Brown of Planterra Ridge said that the parkway is

essential for reducing traffic, but it has to be

connected all the way to effectively do that. It would

then help Peachtree City residents stay off Hwy. 54 to go

places.

Lenox said

the parkway was never meant to be a bypass, and is to be

built when Hwy. 54 is widened. He also pointed out that

full extension of the parkway would depend upon

annexation, which brings with it many other questions.

Mayor Pro

Tempore Annie McMenamin said that annexation is only to

be considered if a master plan is in place for the entire

area, which seems remote at this time with several

different land owners controlling portions of the

affected property.

Several

Sagamore and Belvedere residents said they were led to

believe by Realtors and others that nothing like

apartments would ever be built in this area. They said

they expect property values to decrease and some people

are already moving out of the area because of it.

Councilman

Jim Pace pointed out that the city fought long and hard

when the entire apartment issue was in litigation, and

got the best settlement possible. He reminded the

residents that the land was zoned multifamily as far back

as 1986.

McMenamin

said that in the near future she would like to discuss

slowing things down, perhaps even a moratorium on

development from Line Creek to Hwy. 74 until the highways

are widened.

No action

was taken by the council as a result of this discussion.

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