The Fayette

County Commission gave reluctant support last week to a request from Fayette

Community Hospital for additional land to be annexed into Fayetteville.

"I'd still

like to talk to the city and see how large they want it to grow,"

said Commissioner Peter Pfeifer.

The County

Commission voted unanimously not to object to the hospital's request for

27.59 acres on Ga. Highway 54 to become part of Fayetteville.

However, the

County Commission did ask city officials to consider recommendations from

the county's planning staff including keeping land from a proposed bypass

free of development, deletion of a middle curb cut, limiting impervious

service to 50 percent and creating bike and walking paths.

Commission

Chairman Greg Dunn pointed out the new addition to the hospital will still

be served by county water.

"We could

have done this without annexation, but Fayetteville requires that anybody

that taps into its sewer service be in the city limits," he said.

Late last week,

Fayette Community Hospital President Darrell Cutts spoke about the expansion

plans.

"We are

still in the planning stages, and our focus is on improving patient and

physician access to hospital services," he said. "Over the next

few months, we will make space available in the hospital by moving administrative

offices and services such as the Fitness Center, outpatient rehabilitation

and diabetes education to leased space in the Fayette Professional Center,

directly across the street."

Cutts said

the demand for services has increased at a rate greater than 20 percent

each year. He said physicians, board members and administrators are evaluating

services and exploring current as well as future needs.

"Right

now, we're looking at a variety of expansion needs such as women's services,

cardiology, diagnostics, surgical, oncology, sleep diagnostics and others,

as well as the possibility of a second medical office building on campus,"

Cutts said.

In other news

from last week's commission meeting, county officials sent Tax Commissioner

George Wingo