Plunkett wants land donation agreement in hand

A proposal to extend Peachtree City’s sewer system outside the city limits for a shopping center on Ga. Highway 74 south was denied by the City Council Thursday night.

But the door was left open for the matter to be re-visited in the future. The sticking point was the lack of an agreement to have some of the unused acreage on the parcel donated to the city to expand the city’s Meade Field recreation complex, which is next to the proposed Starr’s Mill Plantation shopping center.

A suggestion was made to allow the sewer extension conditioned on that matter being worked out, but councilwoman Cyndi Plunkett authored the motion to deny the extension. It was supported by councilmen Doug Sturbaum and Don Haddix, and opposed by councilman Steve Boone and Mayor Harold Logsdon.

The shopping center will be located at the intersection of Ga. Highway 74 and Redwine Road, providing access to an existing traffic light.
Haddix suggested that the sewer was “enabling” the shopping center to be developed. But even without the sewer, the developer plans to use a septic disposal system to build the shopping center with 110,000 square feet of stores and four outparcels along the highway in addition to 41,000 square feet of office space.

“It’s going to develop anyway,” Logsdon said.
“You don’t know that’s true,” Haddix countered, pointing to the recent withdrawal of two hotel projects that had been proposed for the city.
Logsdon said the shopping center has been approved by the county commission, so it’s just a matter of time before it’s built, he said. Haddix said using sewer benefits the developer because it’s cheaper than installing a septic system.

“The growth is already approved,” Plunkett said. “The only issue I have is what’s in it for Peachtree City and I don’t think we know the answer yet.”

Plunkett said should an agreement be reached on property donation she would be glad to revisit the sewer extension issue.

Larry Turner, the general manager of the Peachtree City Water and Sewer Authority, said the reason the vote was needed soon is due to a pending development on the other side of Meade Field, where Dominion Partners is going to develop a senior living complex and an attached shopping center, also directly off Ga. Highway 74.

If the sewer extension were approved, it would allow there to be only one pump station instead of three or four in the near future to serve Starr’s Mill Plantation and other parcels in the area.