The Peachtree

City Council is scheduled to rule Thursday night on whether to uphold

the Planning Commission's denial of a concept plan for the proposed Wal-Mart

Superstore.

The Planning

Commission denied approval of the plan July 24, based on the opinion that

the store could not meet the specifications of the city's traffic ordinance.

The ordinance requires developments near the intersection of Ga. Highways

54 and 74 to perform traffic improvements so traffic won't worsen in the

area when those developments open.

Developers

filed an appeal to city council, asking it to overturn the commission's

denial of the concept plan. The appeal has been on hold for several months

while attorneys for both sides intervened. During those negotiations,

the city agreed to have its traffic consulting firm review its figures.

According to

a recent memo to council from City Manager Jim Basinger, the city's traffic

consultants maintain that the Wal-Mart Superstore can't meet the criteria

of the traffic ordinance.

The city's

traffic consulting firm, Dames and Moore, has indicated that the Wal-Mart

Superstore won't meet the traffic ordinance until another lane is added

to the bridge on Hwy. 54 West that crosses the railroad tracks.

Traffic consultants

for RAM Development, however, claim that their traffic impact study indicates

the proposed Wal-Mart would pass the muster of the traffic ordinance.

The proposed

Wal-Mart Superstore would total 204,000 square feet, including an automotive

service center and a garden center.

Another retail

development in that area, The Avenue at Peachtree City, is expected to

generate more traffic when it opens either later this year or early next

year. Also, the city has approved the location of a Home Depot store on

land adjacent to the proposed Wal-Mart site which is also expected to

generate more traffic to the area.