The big box issue is now headed

to the Peachtree City Council.

At its meeting Monday night,

the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the big box ordinance

be passed by council.

The ordinance features new

language that forbids "large expanses of blank walls" on exterior

building walls that face public streets or customer parking areas. To

break up blank spaces, the ordinance suggests a number of different remedies,

including the use of doors, windows, columns, awnings, canopies, murals

and graphics.

The ordinance also calls for

the exterior building walls to be reviewed and approved as part of the

overall final site plan review process. That newly added element allows

city staff and the Planning Commission to have input on the final design.

This would be the commission's

first-ever attempt at having architectural control over new buildings.

The ordinance still reflects

recent changes capping the maximum size of a store at 32,000 square feet

and the maximum size of a retail development at 150,000 square feet, unless

a limited use commercial zoning is sought.

"Those are substantial

size limitations," said Jim Williams, the city's director of developmental

services.

A 32,000-sq. ft. store would

be approximately the size of the Harris Teeter grocery store in Peachtree

City, Williams added.

But Jerry Peterson of Pathway

Communities said the overall size of retail stores doesn't create a problem

for the city compared to areas with a number of smaller retail stores.

Williams said, however, that

Police Chief Jim Murray opposes large retail stores. Murray told Williams

that Wal-Mart, for example, doesn't prosecute shoplifters and therefore

shoplifting becomes a continual problem at those stores.

Still, Williams related, police

are called to the store each time a robbery occurs ­ even though

store officials don't plan to follow through and prosecute the thief.

"The chief is opposed

to the large retail stores because of their corporate policies,"

Williams explained.

Since the ordinance would require

an addition to the existing zoning regulations, the matter must be advertised

before it gets final approval by council.

The ordinance contains language

that would make it retroactive to Aug. 28. However, that won't stop projects

which were "in the hopper" before then, including the Home Depot,

Wal-Mart and the phase two of the Kedron Village retail center, Williams

noted.