At

3 p.m. today, the West Village Task Force will

meet to decide whether to recommend annexing over

900 acres into Peachtree City, the largest

addition since the city was founded more than 40

years ago.

Some

are characterizing the decision to annex as

insuring that area west of Peachtree City and

next to Coweta County would be developed in a

quality manner. But quality would come with

quantity also, because if the land remained part

of unincorporated Fayette County it would have

fewer structures built on it, estimated at 900 or

less.

One

version of a detailed development plan presented

to the task force last week called for

approximately 1,700 residential units including

331 townhouses. The plan also included lots

varying from 50 feet wide to 100 feet wide and up

to one acre or more.

The

task force also was presented with a

"bubble" plan that was less detailed

and didn't include the layout of lots in

subdivisions.

Mayor

Bob Lenox said Monday night that he would ask the

task force how it wants to conduct the vote at

Wednesday's meeting. Some people have suggested

using a secret ballot, he said.

The

Peachtree City Council will have the final say on

the decision to annex or not. Lenox said he does

not anticipate the issue being put on the agenda

for the next council meeting, which is scheduled

for Thursday, Aug. 17.

If

the task force decides to proceed with the

annexation process, Lenox anticipates beginning

negotiations with the developers to see if they

will accept the plan or if they recommend

changes.

"I'm

not naive enough to believe they (the developers)

will swallow it whole," Lenox said.

The

mayor wants to keep the task force involved in

the process even though its original goal -

making a recommendation to council - will

likely be accomplished as of Wednesday afternoon.

Lenox said he respects the task force members for

working hard to study the issue.

"Collectively,

the group has done a lot of good work,"

Lenox said. "If we press on, I'd like to

have them involved. Everybody has listened

carefully, and I don't think it's going to be an

easy decision for anybody."

The

task force has been studying the annexation issue

since March when Lenox appointed community

members and representatives of the affected

developers and landowners to the task force. The

group was charged with preparing a recommendation

to council by the end of July as to whether to

annex the entire area to develop a fourth village

for the city.

At

last week's task force meeting, Lenox argued that

annexation is the one way for Peachtree City to

control growth in the area. If the city decides

not annex the land, it would remain under the

county's growth regulations, he said.

If

the land remains part of the county, the

projections are for a maximum of 900 units,

including the area already in Peachtree City that

is developed. The county requires minimum lot

sizes of one acre.

Whether

the West Village becomes reality, on paper it is

both similar to and very different from Peachtree

City as it exists today. The design plan

submitted by Wood and Partners calls for stores

to be built near the street (as opposed to the

deeper setbacks required today). Parking at those

stores would be in the rear instead of out front.

Approximately

30 percent of the land is devoted to green space

to keep the area aesthetically pleasing. Included

in that is a large central park and lake area

which would take up 25 acres. Also included are

smaller neighborhood parks.

Proponents

of annexation have argued that any county

residents who eventually locate in the area would

use some city services anyway, but if the city

didn't annex the property those people wouldn't

pay the city for the services.

It

has also been said that having the land inside

the city would be better for the environment

since the structures would be on sewer service.

However, there are other environmental questions

lurking such as the effect the development would

have on wetlands in the area and also on Line

Creek, which borders the proposed West Village to

the west.

Another

issue has been transportation, particularly the

matter of how best to cross the railroad track

that borders the east side of the property. The

detailed plan for West Village provides for one

cross-over bridge on the northern end of the

property at Kedron Drive and an at-grade crossing

near the location of the AT&T Cable Services

building.

The

at-grade crossing would have to be fully

signalized, according to the recommendation from

Wood and Partners.

The

city's traffic consultants have recommended that

the West Village not be connected to both Ga.

highways 54 and 74 at the same time.

Noise

from the railroad tracks also has been a key

point focused on by the task force. The planning

consultants recommended that a man-made sound

barrier be established in addition to retaining a

100-foot natural buffer of trees and other

vegetation.

The

100-foot buffer also was retained along the

northern edge of the property, which is near a

rock quarry where blasting occurs regularly.

At

an earlier meeting of the task force, the

possibility of annexing a portion of the proposed

property was offered. But at last week's meeting,

some task force members said it would be

difficult to have the project developed on a

piecemeal basis.

To

control the development if annexation is

approved, the city could limit the number of

residences completed on a yearly basis to 350 or

a similar number, Lenox has said. A special set

of covenants and zoning requirements might also

be added to make sure the property is developed

the way the city wants.

Having

more residential units is key to the plan,

according to developers. That's the only way they

can recoup the costs for the infrastructure

needed such as the bridge over the railroad track

and the road system, they claim.

The

new plan also leaves a site for a school, with

the facilities left open so they could be used by

the public when school is not in session.

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