In a move that some city

officials considered a high point after more than a

decade of struggle, the City Council of Peachtree City

last week approved a rezoning for the Lexington Commons

development now underway at the corner of Ga. Highway 54

and Walt Banks Road.

"This is potentially

the culmination of about 15 years of work," said

city development director Jim Williams, who has been

involved in the process from the beginning.

The 73-acre tract in

question has been the subject of much disagreement and

even litigation over the years, as the city and various

landowners and developers squabbled over what each

considered the best use of the land.

What was originally four

separate parcels of land is now controlled by Bob Adams,

who is working on a master-planned mixed-use development

that will include commercial, office, single-family

detached residential and even multifamily residential

development.

The city hired a

professional planning firm several months ago to come up

with a master plan for the entire area, and Adams has

tweaked it somewhat while retaining the general concept,

which is that of a neighborhood village center rather

than a retail center.

Traffic improvements were

discussed as part of the approval process, and it was

obvious that a traffic light would be needed at the

intersection of Walt Banks Road and Peachtree Parkway,

where traffic is already heavy at times, Williams said.

But he proposed a unique

feature that he felt would help the traffic situation in

the area. He said that building a roundabout at that

intersection would be more cost-efficient and safe than a

traffic light.

The cost of the roundabout

should be covered by impact fees from 60 loft apartments

that make up a portion of the development plan, Williams

said. These residences will be on upper floors of various

office buildings at the site.

The property was rezoned to

LUC-15, a limited use commercial classification, with a

number of restrictions. There was no one present in

opposition to the request.

Adams pointed out that if

the development were not done as outlined in the plan,

the land would revert to its original zoning.

The largest single

commercial site on the property could be a proposed

multiplex cinema. Some audience members at the City

Council meeting asked how many screens could possibly be

located there, and it was noted that the square footage

restrictions would prohibit a complex similar to what is

now in Fayetteville, Newnan or Morrow. No single

commercial site at Lexington Commons can be more than

50,000 square feet.

The developers also pointed

out that this theater would only draw from Peachtree

City, since the other theaters are already in existence

for the surrounding areas, so no more than six or eight

screens would make economic sense.

As the City Council began

discussing the proposal, Robert Brooks said that one of

the key issues here is the fact that it is not a regional

center, like what had been proposed previously for the

site.

Annie McMenamin added that

she thought it good to have a local builder like Adams

who has a long-term relationship with the city.

Before the vote, city

attorney Rick Lindsey advised the council to first lift

the moratorium on multifamily development as it pertains

only to this site. That was done, and the rezoning was

approved unanimously.