In addition, Mr. Williams stated

that the city staff was convinced "that the additional traffic light

[at The Avenue] was desirable and essential to maintaining the current

traffic situation in that area." Williams continued, "by installing

a traffic signal, using new technology [fiber optics], they could maintain

the traffic service at a level 'D'."

Later on at the Aug. 23, 1999,

Planning Commission meeting, City Planner David Rast "stated that

the City Council's action [Traffic Impact Ordinance] regarding the Hwy.

54 corridor would not affect The Avenue because they had already completed

a traffic impact study. This study identified the need for a new traffic

signal on Hwy. 54 at one of their entrances across from Market Place Boulevard.

This study showed that this traffic signal ... and the installation of

a fiber optic cable would maintain and, in some cases, improve the current

level of service."

I give you all those long quotations

(and I'll spare you may others) to say that the traffic signal was an

integral part of the traffic modeling process for the Wal-Mart mitigation

plan and the entire Hwy. 54 West corridor. Thanks to GDOT, the model has

now been corrupted.

GDOT is even questioning, and

rightly so, viability of the "through lane" contained in the

Wal-Mart mitigation plan. Why did not anyone from the city get with GDOT

and discuss some of these points prior to passing the Wal-Mart plan?

GDOT wants to see some hard

data and this causes me to wonder why the city council passed the Wal-Mart

plan.

It will be interesting to see

if Mayor Lenox discusses the rights of the stores and restaurants already

built and in operation that will suffer from the deletion of the traffic

signal. All of this is being done so that a Wal-Mart can be forced into

the area.

The Avenues and the apartments

on Hwy. 54 were not even supposed to get a certificate of occupancy from

the city until their traffic lights were installed. Jim Williams (Peachtree

City's Monty Hall) made yet another turn-around deal and let them use

police officers instead. The big question is how do we plug two police

officers into a highly sophisticated fiber optic traffic system?

Now that the model is corrupted,

we need to recall the Wal-Mart vote, review the data and have a new vote.

With the resignation of Councilman Bob Brooks, either Council member Carol

Fritz or Mayor Bob Lenox would have to recall the revised issue for a

new vote. The infamous Wal-Mart vote was based upon GDOT approval, which

has been severely altered.

Contact both Fritz and Lenox

and let them know that we want the engineers from GDOT to present their

findings at a council meeting and that we want another vote on the Wal-Mart

mitigation plan.

Steve Brown

Peachtree City

[email protected]