Going against

the Planning Commission's wishes, the Peachtree City Council has approved

the rezoning of the Katz property from general industrial to general residential-4.

The rezoning

paves the way for a subdivision with at least 300 homes, though that number

might creep up. Council decided to allow up to 350 total homes on the

181-acre tract, which includes 101 acres inside the city limits and the

80 acres of adjoining property in the unincorporated county.

In essence,

that means if the county only approves 20 units on its portion, 330 units

would be built in Peachtree City.

The rezoning

was approved 3-1 at Wednesday's council meeting with Dan Tennant opposing

and Carol Fritz absent from the meeting.

Several conditions

were tacked to the rezoning approval, including the donation of a school

site for the Fayette County Board of Education by John Wieland Homes,

the developer who sought the rezoning.

Council members

Annie McMenamin and Robert Brooks said the rezoning gave Peachtree City

a great opportunity to improve the western area of Peachtree City. The

chance to extend MacDuff Parkway northward which is considered key to

providing emergency services to the Wynnmeade area was important, they

said. They also said the provisions for the free school site were also

key.

Brooks also

argued that the property would become residentially zoned if the matter

was taken to court.

"Do the

residents in this area want the land zoned industrial?" Brooks asked.

"I don't think so."

Brooks said

he also felt confident that the parkway would eventually be hooked up

to Ga. Highway 74 though the remaining land to do so is in Fayette County's

jurisdiction.

"I actually

think this enables up to do the best thing for Peachtree City," Brooks

said.

The Katz property

is north of the Cedarcroft tract along Hwy. 74.

Jim Williams,

the city's director of developmental services, said city staff supported

the rezoning with the conditions. The rezoning allows for "step-down"

density, he added.

Doug Dillard,

an attorney for John Wieland Homes, argued that the land couldn't be sold

while it was zoned industrial. Opponents to the rezoning, however, stressed

that the land might be more suitable for office-institutional use.

Peachtree City

resident Steve Brown urged council to consider the safety ramifications

of having the school site near the railroad tracks should a derailment

occur and spill chemicals into the air.

But Brooks

said Peachtree City already has four schools that are closer to the railroad

tracks than the proposed school site that is being considered.

Dillard criticized

Brown's viewpoint, referring to it as a "Chicken Little" theory.

It was also

discussed whether CSX railroad might consider slowing down its trains

as they travel through Peachtree City. Currently, the speed limit for

trains is 55 mph with a small section where it's 40 mph, said Acting Fire

Chief Stony Lohr.

The company

is considering making a request to raise the speed limit on its rails,

Lohr added.

Another resident,

Phyllis Aguayo, said she was concerned about the overall density of the

development. She also worried that the rezoning would allow other industrially-zoned

properties in the area to seek residential zoning status.

One of the

conditions on the rezoning is that a sound and vibration study be performed.

Dillard said Wieland agreed to use whatever remedy is recommended by the

Georgia Tech engineer the developer has solicited to perform the study.

The concept

plan must also be reworked to provide more open space with a "cluster"

development concept.

The planning

commission had recommended the rezoning not be approved, mainly because

of the projected burden the development would place on the already overcrowded

school system.

Jerry Whitaker,

the director of planning and land acquisition for the Fayette County Board

of Education, said the board thinks the proposed school site would be

acceptable. But, he added, the site hasn't been subjected to study from

engineers or architects, which could hinder the property from being suitable

for locating a school there.

Dillard said

Wieland would be glad to help fund those studies.

"We will

fully fund this school site," Dillard said.