Peachtree City

Mayor Steve Brown wants outside-the-box thinking from the City Council,

particularly when it comes to planning the city's spending priorities.

Specifically,

Brown wants council to consider purchasing land for greenspace and other

public uses such as cart path tunnels. Brown told council at its retreat

Friday that such opportunities may not exist in a year or two because

such properties, particularly those in the Ga. Highway 54 West corridor,

are already being marketed for sale.

Brown has made

it no secret that he believes development of the Hwy. 54 West area which

will include the massive Home Depot and Wal-Mart Superstore is crucial

to Peachtree City's future.

"We need

a spending philosophy that I think is non-existent," Brown said.

"There are certain properties we can acquire ... that in two years

if we don't they will be commercial."

Councilwoman

Annie McMenamin said she felt the time for council to allot its spending

priorities is during the budgeting process. But Councilman Steve Rapson

said establishing such spending priorities now would help Finance Director

Paul Salvatore prepare for the next budgeting cycle.

The city has

acquired commercially zoned property this year through the Development

Authority's purchase of Drake Field between City Hall and Lake Peachtree.

The city is paying the authority for that purchase with funds from a state

greenspace preservation grant.

McMenamin also

said that looking