An advisory committee planning

road and cart path infrastructure for Peachtree City's West Village area

has decided to eliminate the proposed site for a commuter rail station

completely from its plans.

The site, which was located

south of The Avenue at Peachtree City, was eliminated after several committee

members worried this would give state officials the impression that local

citizens approve of bringing passenger rail service to Peachtree City.

The committee also decided

to shorten the proposed access road south of Ga. Highway 54 and include

a cart path tunnel under Huddleston Road.

The plan addresses a number

of projects to extend the city's cart path system and make the area aesthetically

pleasing. One of the projects, a cart path bridge over Ga. Highway 54

West near MacDuff Parkway, would do both by serving as a gateway entrance

to Peachtree City.

The projects will be considered

for grant funding by the Atlanta Regional Commission. City Planner David

Rast said there will be $20 million a year available from the ARC for

the projects, but the city won't be able to get the projects funded until

2004.

ARC is particularly interested

in funding alternative transportation projects.

The commuter rail station,

however, might never come to Peachtree City, some committee members argued.

"Do we want to put in

anything that might be construed as a commitment?" said Phyllis Aguayo.

Committee member John Leonard

said the rail station didn't fit into the goals and objectives the committee

identified for the project anyway.

Rast said he was worried about

the rail station site hindering full approval from the City Council, which

is required before the plan is sent to the ARC for review.

Instead of discussing the location

of the rail station, the report will mention that the advisory committee

considered the concept but it was the subject of much controversy.

Another part of the plan, the

relocation of the entrance to the Planterra Ridge subdivision, could also

be scrapped in the near future. Committee member Eileen Shaw, who serves

on the Planterra homeowners association, said that plan should be discussed

with residents there before it is included in the final document sent

to the ARC.

Shaw also suggested eliminating

two proposed roundabouts on Planterra Way designed to keep traffic from

using the road as a shortcut.

The committee decided to shorten

the access road south of Hwy. 54, beginning at Line Creek Drive, where

the plan proposes a traffic light, and ending at Planterra Way. The original

access road began across from MacDuff Parkway and ended at Huddleston

Road. Shortening the road should eliminate use of the access road to avoid

traffic lights on Hwy. 54.

But the northern section of

Huddleston was seen as a key area for a cart path tunnel so the path can

reach the unique cloverleaf design of two tunnels and a bridge which provides

access to the other side of the railroad track.

The access road north of Hwy.

54 might also be changed as developer Doug McMurrain of Ram indicated

he wanted part of it to curve northward, between the future Home Depot

store and another commercial parcel. Then the road would taper back south

so it could eventually connect Hwy. 54 at the intersection to Huddleston

Road.

The northern access road would

begin at Wynnmeade Parkway, according to the current plans.

The committee also discussed

the importance of having trees along sidewalks and cart path areas to

provide shade. Without trees, no one will use the sidewalks when it's

hot, Aguayo said.

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