They denied a conceptual

site plan for a Home Depot store to be located on Ga.

Highway 54 in Peachtree City, a location that is already

over-congested. The primary reason for denying this was

traffic, but also to protect the health, safety and

welfare of all local residents.

Many business owners who

would be negatively impacted by the building of the

"Big Box" store and the traffic problems it

would create also attended to express their opposition.

I listened to the traffic

studies done for the city by Dames and Moore. They

sounded like RAM and Home Depot hired them. All the

traffic improvements they suggested were to benefit Home

Depot, and no one else. The two most harmful changes

would be to eliminate the stop light at Huddleston Road,

cutting off the businesses there and adding a stoplight

at the entrance of the Planterra Ridge subdivision, which

would cause a lot of additional cut-through traffic

through the neighborhood.

Employees of the industrial

park that are prohibited from a left turn at Huddleston

would then cut through Planterra Ridge using the stop

light at Planterra Way. Most of the shift changes occur

at 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., the same time that school children

are getting on and off the buses.

Most of the so-called

improvements were based on speculation and have not been

presented to or approved by the Department of

Transportation (D.O.T.). With the Clean Air Act still in

effect until who knows when, how could RAM and Home Depot

expect an approval of their plan before improvements

could be made? There should be no new development until

the traffic problems are solved.

A concerned residents group

presented a petition against Home Depot with over 800

signatures; these signatures were acquired in less than

five days. This should show Home Depot that they are not

wanted here. I'm sure there are many other Peachtree City

residents that will be glad to sign this petition. Does

Home Depot have any signatures of Peachtree City

residents that want them to come?

Not once in the whole

evening, during the site plan proposal, the traffic

presentation, the landscape plan, or even during the

threat of an appeal or hint of a lawsuit, did I hear

anyone from RAM or Home Depot say a word about how this

development would benefit Peachtree City. The only ones

who will benefit from this sale and development will be

the landowners, the developer and Home Depot.

The landowners were present

Monday night; why didn't they stand up and offer us a

different view? Sure, they have every right to be able to

sell their property, but not at the expense of the people

and businesses in the surrounding area. They can rest

assured another buyer will come along willing to pay

their price, someone that will fit in Peachtree City.

The conceptual site plan

shows an additional unnamed large box store, but

developers and City staff denied that it represented a

Wal-Mart Super Center. The previous site plan listed

Wal-Mart as the store but conveniently removed it after

the first meeting. What else would it be?

These large stores are

neither wanted or needed here. It makes me wonder why

Home Depot wants to come to a city where the residents

are so overwhelmingly opposed to it. On Home Depot's

website, they talk about being a good neighbor -

good neighbors don't hurt each other. That's what they

would do by coming here.

They mention

"environmental responsibility" - is it

responsible to worsen an already difficult traffic

problem or to disturb environmental wetlands just to make

a profit?

There is still a lot of

work to do to stop this project. Call or write Home

Depot; tell them not to come. Call your city council

members and tell them you object to it. Watch the local

cable channel for the agenda of upcoming city council

meetings. Given the attorneys' and RAM Development's

comments at the Planning Commission meeting, it's a sure

bet they will appeal this decision to the city council.

We need to continue to pack city hall during these

meetings and show everyone that the large corporations

that want to push their way into our city cannot bully

us.

It's time for the city

council to stand up to these bullies and protect the

citizens of Peachtree City. The decision they make will

affect the whole city. If this passes, what will someone

want to build next near your neighborhood? Will Peachtree

City become another traffic-clogged city?

Sharon McFarland

Peachtree City

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