The

Peachtree City Planning Commission Monday night gave the

go-ahead for RAM Development and Eckerd to proceed with

the construction of a new drug store on Ga. Highway 54,

next to Ruby Tuesday and near the intersection of

Peachtree Parkway.

The

commission voted 3-1 to approve the conceptual site plan

for the project, with acting chairman Wes Saunders voting

against.

The

proposed store will be 12,738 square feet, about 50

percent larger than the Eckerd at City Circle, and with

60 parking spaces, far fewer than what is currently at

the site, surrounding the old Morrison's Cafeteria

building.

representative of the developers said that the site

remained empty for well over a year because of a deed

restriction held by Ruby Tuesday which did not allow

anyone to sell alcohol beverages on the premises.

Since it

appeared no one wished to use the building as a

restaurant, he said, Eckerd decided to change the use for

the property and fill the empty space, moving across the

street from the Peachtree Crossing shopping center.

Work began

on the project in April, and the finished product will

reclaim about 3,000 square feet of green space and reduce

the number of delivery trips as well as the amount of

sewer impact from what would have been used by a

restaurant at the same location, the developer said.

With the

number of parking spaces being reduced, all 60 will be

put in the front portion of the property, keeping the

cars as far away from the nearby residential area as

possible.

There were

several public comments about the project, specifically

the size of the familiar blue Eckerd sign which will be

on the front of the building. There was also concern

expressed about the size of the building, trucks coming

in and out of the property, and the vacant storefront

Eckerd will be leaving across the street.

City staff

emphasized that they do not want the old store vacant for

an extended period of time, saying that Fayetteville has

a great deal of sites like that with new retail spaces

opening up in various places and merchants moving into

them.

In other

Planning Commission business, conceptual site plans for

First Union Bank at Kedron Village and the Riley Field

track and football complex were unanimously approved.

Also

approved unanimously was the landscape plan for the

Peachtree City Distribution Center at Ga. Highway 74 and

Dividend Drive.

The

landscape plan for the McIntosh High School practice

fields was tabled until the Sept. 27 meeting. 8