The pressure

between developers and City Hall exploded Monday night as tempers flared

over a proposed development in Senoia.

The City Council

tabled approval of the preliminary plat for the Twin Lakes subdivision,

but not before the city's staff, council and developers exchanged angry

words.

At the center

of the controversy over the 381-home development on Rockaway Road is water

storage.

The city's

staff, including city engineer Ben Turnipseed, maintains the development

needs an above-ground water tank storage system. City administrator Murray

McAfee said Turnipseed had forwarded a letter to the City Council saying

the tank needed to be discussed before the plat could be approved.

"You're

a liar," said developer Chris Cooper.

Mayor Dianne

Cleveland tried to calm down the name calling.

"You cannot

call him a liar in public. Why should the citizens subsidize your development?"

she said.

Twin Lakes

officials have agreed to donate land for the tank, but not pay for the

cost of it. Cooper also said their engineers say a tank is not necessary.

Another issue

that clouded the discussion was the absence of Planning Commission meeting

minutes on the development. The commission met four times on the issue,

but did not have any approved minutes, which troubled the City Council.

When Councilman

Pat Tunnell commented that was the city's fault, Cleveland retorted with

a sharp reply.

"Maybe

you should start getting involved more, instead of just showing up an

hour early before the meeting," she suggested.

Cleveland and

Councilman Robert Hannah also had a problem with Cooper editing minutes

of the Planning Commission. The mayor said Cooper had suggested any discussion

involving the water tank be stricken from the minutes.

But Cooper

maintained he had not done any editing. He said the Planning Commission

had sent him a copy of the minutes and wanted his opinion to see if the

minutes reflected the meeting.

Cleveland actually

suggested a unique approach for the developers.

"Have

you thought of deannexation? We can't afford this new development,"

she said.

The mayor was

also upset that the original development was pegged at 663 homes, which

would require a Development of Regional Impact study by the Department

of Community Affairs. But the development was then carved into two sections,

which would not require a review process.

But Cooper

maintained the developers were not trying to circumvent the process. Rather,

the group that owned the property wanted to see the project move along

quicker and start the development sooner.

The City Council

told Cooper and his group that they would provide them a list of concern

before the July 7 council meeting and would also be willing to have a

workshop with the group to try and resolve some of the problems.