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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