Peachtree City's

annexation moratorium has been lifted to discuss a request to annex 80

acres of a planned subdivision north of the existing Wynnmeade subdivision

and west of MacDuff Parkway.

The land, which

is currently in unincorporated Fayette County, is bordered on three sides

for the West Village area that was denied by council last August.

Dan Fields

of John Wieland Homes said the company is not seeking a higher density

than the current 350 homes council allowed for the entire 150-acre site,

which includes adjacent property that's located inside the city limits.

If the property

remains in the county, John Wieland Homes will only be allowed to build

14 lots on the 80 acres, Fields said.

Annexing the

property would improve the public safety service for the land in addition

to making sure those residents pay city taxes since they'll be using many

city services anyway, such as recreation, Fields said.

the property, more open space could be built into The Centennial subdivision,

he noted.

Mayor Bob Lenox

said it would be ideal if the company would consider giving the city some

land that could be used for a fire station since one will be needed to

serve the West Village area anyway. Lenox also asked if the planned road

improvements for a turn lane off Ga. Highway 54 and Huddleston Road could

be sped up to alleviate traffic problems in the area.

"We could

do that," Fields said, later adding that the turn lane could be constructed

after the permit is approved by the state Department of Transportation.

Already, John

Wieland Homes has committed to donating 20 acres to the Fayette County

School System to be used for a school if necessary.

Councilman

Steve Rapson said he felt it was important for the current zoning for

that subdivision to stay in place.

The annexation

request will be sent to the Planning Commission for deliberation. The

commission would then forward a recommendation for action to council.

Before the

moratorium was lifted for this particular property, city staff was forbidden

about discussing annexation possibilities with John Wieland Homes.

Local resident

Steve Brown spoke in favor of the annexation, saying "you can take

this land planning lemon, squeeze it and make some lemonade.

"We need

to play our cards just right and make sure it's in the best interest of

Peachtree City," Brown added.

Fields said

the safety concerns specifically related to road access to the property.

The property would be accessed by the new MacDuff Parkway which begins

on Ga. Highway 54 West near the new Summit Apartments.

One safety

concern about the school location is that it should also have access to

Highway 74 North, which would likely require the extension of MacDuff

Parkway through land to the north which is owned by others.

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