Open space

rezonings of PTC facilities, rec areas approved by Planning Commission

MUNFORD

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The Peachtree

City Planning Commission approved a small number of "housekeeping"

rezonings at its meeting Monday night.

The action

reclassified 14 properties, most of which are city-owned, as open space,

including Drake Field, Pebblepocket Park, Riley Field, the boat docks

and ramp on Pinecrest Drive and Peachtree Elementary School. Also reclassified

as open space were city facilities such as the new police station, Neely

Fire Station, Leach Fire Station and the municipal complex, which includes

City Hall and the library.

Three cemeteries

in the city were also designated as open space under the rezonings.

The rezonings

will not be finalized until they are approved by the City Council at an

upcoming meeting.

The commission

also approved a landscape plan for the new Ethan Allen furniture showroom

in the Marketplace retail center near the intersection of Ga. highways

54 and 74.

The commission

also met in a workshop format with developers who want to have a tract

on Hwy. 74 rezoned from agriculture-residential to limited use commercial.

The plans for the property would include two retail buildings, one of

which would host a Dalton West Carpets showroom.

The property,

known as the Leach Tract, is near Wisdom Road on Highway 74 north and

borders the Fairfield subdivision. Fairfield residents are concerned with

buffering issues and making sure the type of business brought to the other

retail building is appropriate.

For example,

a spokesman for the Fairfield neighborhood said a restaurant, which can

create offensive odors, would not be a good choice for the second building.

"What

we do here will set the tone for the rest of the area," said Planning

Commissioner Rich Schumacher. "What I saw tonight I'd never approve,

with the dumpsters facing