After years

spent earning a reputation as one of the best schools in the state, McIntosh

High deserves an outward appearance that reflects the excellence going

on inside.

That was the

opinion of the Peachtree City Planning Commission when representatives

from the school system unveiled the first conceptual site plans for remaking

the school's parking lot and entranceway.

Klaus Darnall,construction

supervisor for Fayette County schools, explained to the planners Monday

that the extensive remaking of the school's rather unsightly, sloping

student parking lot is necessary to make room for a new gym.

The school

has about 600 parking spaces now, but that will be reduced by at least

80 when 200 spaces in the student lot are removed for the gym.

Because so

many students at McIntosh drive golf carts to campus, and the school has

a separate golf cart parking lot, Darnall said officials don't think reducing

the number of car parking spots will be a problem in the future.

The current

faculty and visitors lot will be torn up and rebuilt to hold 228 cars,

from 108 now. A new entrance drive will meet up with the new subdivision

entranceway across Walt Banks Road. The drive will split in front of the

building, near where the present library is, and drivers will go left

to a new faculty lot, or right to a refigured student lot.

The project

will help make the approach to the school more appealing, and will improve

on traffic flow and safety, Darnall said. Crepe driveway will be relocated

to match up with a new subdivision entrance across Walt Banks Road.

City Planner

David Rast reminded the board that the plans they were seeing were "conceptual

only," but the members seemed unimpressed.

"I was

hoping to see a more dramatic entranceway," said Ray Green. "Maybe

a new sign, some nice landscaping. I just see a bunch of trees plopped

down."

Explained Rast,

"Remember, this is a parking lot plan, not a landscaping plan."

Commission

vice-chair Dennis Payton said, "Our interest is in seeing a better

visual appearance to McIntosh," and questioned why the high school

wasn't held to parking lot and landscaping codes the city applies to other

commercial and public buildings.

Rast explained

that, as a courtesy, the school district is exempt from adhering to the

strict design, landscaping and sign codes that otherwise would be applied.

But, he said, the school board and city have a good working relationship

that usually leads to agreeable compromises.

"The Board

of Education doesn't have to come before the city for permission to do

anything," Rast said.

"Then

why are they here?" asked Green.

Darnall said

the school district is aware how the school looks and is working with

the city to improve the "first impression" along Walt Banks,

a major feeder road on the edger of the city limits.

Even so, a

motion to OK the conceptual site plan received no second, and died on

the table.

"I'm not

sure what our procedure should be," Commissioner Robert Buckley explained.

"This clearly is not up to city standards, but if we OK it what kind

of message does that send? I don't want to go on record as supporting

a project that's not the best this panel can hope for."

Said Buckley,

"McIntosh is one of the best high schools in the state, and it should

look like it."

Darnall said

the school system will continue working to make the project the best it

can be. Plans for the actual construction still must be completed. But

the parking lot project needs to commence as soon as school ends later

this month, pending funds are available.

The planners

finally OK'd the tentative layout of the parking lot work, by amending

the original motion to state "Under the limitations imposed by the

agreement between the Board of Education and Peachtree City, we feel this

conceptual site plan should be approved."

It was not

clear if school officials will bother presenting the plans to the city

council.

In other business,

the commission reveiwed new plans for landscaping at the Buckhead Brewery

even as diners were enjoying opening night at the restaurant on Georgia

Hwy. 54 and Lexington Circle.

Buckhead Brewery

was granted a temporary 30-day occupancy permit in order to complete the

exterior, which didn't look like original plans.

At issue is

the lack of any kind of natural buffer between the rear of the restaurant

and the homes in the Lexington Park neighborhood next door. The eatery

is designed to look like a huge log hunting lodge, and little more than

a low fence and some small trees separate the homeowners from the noise

and glare of the business.

A representative

of the developer pointed out that they had already gone above and beyond

requirements of the city by landscaping and sodding 4,000 square feet

of entranceway along Hwy. 54. "Do we get any credits for that?"

While the board

members were appreciative, they still insisted that Buckhead Brewery build

an earthen bunker along the rear of the property and plant it with a screen

of trees to block the view for folks living next door.

The restaurant

will come back in two weeks with a "berm plan" that hopefully

meets city requirements, the representative said.

Also Monday,

the planners OK'd landscaping proposals for both Tiger Way office and

warehouse on Tiger Way and Jasper Engines on International Drive.

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