As expected

after the city's approval of the proposed Home Depot on

the west side of town, Peachtree City's traffic task

force has ceased having regular monthly meetings for the

time being.

The group

met Wednesday afternoon, and Mayor Bob Lenox began the

proceedings by asking the members right up front in which

direction they thought things should go.

Planterra

Ridge resident Robert Brown, an alternate on the Planning

Commission, said that his impression after the City

Council vote last month was that the city did not feel it

needed any guidance from the task force, since the city

insisted on hearing the issue and ruling on it when it

did.

RAM

Development Corp. appealed the Planning Commission's

denial of the Home Depot site plan, and the City Council

reversed that decision Dec. 16. Task force members at

their Dec. 6 meeting urged the city to delay the appeal

hearing so that all options could be considered.

Council

members said repeatedly as the project was approved that

because the property in question was zoned for retail use

and had been for many years, denial or delay of the

proposal would only invite legal challenges that the city

would be very hard-pressed to answer.

Councilwoman

Annie McMenamin, who cast the lone dissenting vote on the

appeal, said at Wednesday's task force meeting that if

the group was not going to have any influence in future

discussions such as annexation of the West Village and

the second phase of RAM's plan, which calls for a

Wal-Mart, then there's no reason to waste any more time

with these meetings.

Wynnmeade

resident John Dillihunt said he has found the discussions

educational, and by studying these issues more closely he

has learned that things are not always done as easily as

they appear to be in areas such as development and road

improvements.

Brown

pointed out that these discussions should have been

conducted several years ago, but in all of metro Atlanta

most decisions are made in a reactive mode. "Wait

until the roads are packed, then do something," was

how he put it.

Lenox

agreed with that assessment, saying that in most cases

involving local government, "It's not a catastrophe,

so we don't do anything."

The task

force will not meet on an as-needed basis. If anything

comes up that a member thinks merits quick consideration,

then Lenox advised that the member contact the city and

get the wheels in motion so that the group can meet.