Few issues

have stirred as much public discussion as Williams Company's plan to build

a 2,300-megawatt power plant on Peters Road near Union City.

Two groups

of homeowners and interested residents are fighting the proposal, and

owners of the property on which the plant is to be built spoke out this

week for the first time, saying opponents need to be more realistic.

Safeguard South

Metro, a group composed of residents of several south side counties, has

formed to oppose the plant and met with Williams representative Brian

Rubenstein last week for a round of discussions.

Meanwhile,

the issue has sparked creation of a new group in north Fayette, representing

more than 20 neighborhoods. While their opposition to the power plant

has been the catalyst in forming the North Fayette Neighborhood Association,

its chairman says the group plans to stay together to work on future issues

as well.

A vote by the

Fulton County Commission on the company's rezoning application to allow

the plant has been delayed at the company's request, so that all the environmental

permits can be in place before that decision is made.

An information

meeting is scheduled Sept. 13 at the Fulton Service Center South on Stonewall

Tell Road. Also, state Rep. Sharon Beasley-Teague has scheduled a meeting

with Safeguard South Metro for Aug. 7 and asked Williams representatives

to attend (see related story).

Public hearings

on the rezoning application are now scheduled for Oct. 6 with the county

Planning Commission and Nov. 7 with the Fulton County commission.

The company

also has submitted a rezoning application with Union City. Nearly 32 acres

of the site is within the city limits and officials were requesting that

the property's zoning category be changed from Community Unit Plan to

Light Industrial.

Hearings on

that request also will be in the fall.

The owners

of the property being sold to Williams Company said residents are being

unrealistic about the property.

"This

will certainly not be the last offer we receive for development of our

property," said Ann Scharko, owner of the property. "We have

had talks with other developers, all who have shared a strong interest

in developing our property and all who would rezone the property.

"However,"

Scharko said, "Williams is the first buyer who has committed to only

developing a small portion of the property and preserving the rest as

green space and open space. The others will develop virtually all of the

property."

Scharko said

she decided to speak out after hearing opponents of the facility talk

about their dreams of the property being preserved in its natural state

for the rest of their lifetimes.

"Anyone

who has been monitoring Atlanta's growth over the last 15 years realizes

it is only a matter of time until this and other nearby property is developed,"

she said. "It is happening all around us, including nearby Fayette

and Clayton counties, and it is going to happen here."

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