Several residents

of subdivisions on private streets approached the Peachtree City Council

during its annual retreat this past weekend.

Elmer Koldoff,

St. Simons Cove, told of the surprise many private street residents are

currently receiving. Many residents are the second and third family to

live in the homes on these streets and were not aware of exactly what

living on a private street really meant.

Several of

the subdivisions pay monthly fees toward light poles and any necessary

resurfacing. Many do not, and find that the neighborhood will have to

assess each owner enough to cover the cost of resurfacing a total of $60,000

in one instance.

There are 32

developments in Peachtree City that have private streets. Of these, 12

are commercial subdivisions, 12 are single-family subdivisions and eight

are multi-family subdivisions. Many developers originally opted to put

in private streets because they would not have to meet public street requirements

such as curbing and this would ultimately reduce the land cost per home.

The developer would, in turn, have an increase on its return on the project.

The city estimated

that if it accepted the private streets and implemented the necessary

repairs, curbing and resurfacing over a nine-year period, the total cost

would be in the neighborhood of $430,000.

City staff

members pointed out that if further consideration was to be given to the

matter, a policy on conversion would need to be implemented, as well as

increasing the maintenance budget, variances would have to be established,

setbacks reconsidered, some degree of replatting would need to take place

and a policy to prohibit future private streets be enacted.

The matter

will be an agenda item at a future council meeting.