A ordinance

aimed at taming the outdoor display of merchandise for sale at retail

stores in Peachtree City has been put on hold again.

The City Council

has planned to discuss the regulations at Wednesday's council meeting,

having postponed a vote on the matter to get more input from local merchants.

But city staff wanted more time to contact local store owners and inform

them of the proposed ordinance's potential effects.

At the previous

council meeting, Jim Williams, the city's director of developmental services,

told council that some merchants have given negative feedback to the city

regarding the proposed new rules.

The ordinance

would limit the amount of space a store can use outside to display wares

for sale. It also would allow for "sidewalk sales" and other

variances since each store could apply for a limited use permit that would

allow up to a week's worth of outdoor sales beyond the restrictions of

the ordinance.

However, those

permits would be limited to four per year for each store.

The ordinance

would also forbid items from being sold directly from trucks, such as

pinestraw, a transaction that has routinely occurred in the city in the

past.

At a previous

council meeting, councilwoman Annie McMenamin argued that the outdoor

display ordinance was needed to combat the marketing tactics of big box

stores. Home Depot stores routinely display lawn mowers and other items

on their front sidewalks, and Peachtree City is slated to get a Home Depot

store in the near future.

Trucks and

trailers would also be kept from parking for more than two hours after

a delivery is made. And if a truck has advertising on the side, it should

be parked so the advertising isn't legible from off-site, the proposed

ordinance requires.