HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-16-2019 regular meetingCity Council of Peachtree City
Meeting Minutes
Thursday, May 16, 2019
6:30 p.m.
The City Council of Peachtree City met in regular session on Thursday, May 16, 2019. Mayor
Vanessa Fleisch called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Others attending: Terry Ernst, Mike King,
and Kevin Madden, Phil Prebor was on temporary leave of absence.
Announcements. Awards, Special Recognition
Presentation of Awards - Lake Peachtree Spillway
Fleisch reported that the Lake Peachtree Spillway project had been honored with both a state
and national award for civil engineering. The awards recognized innovation through the use of
the piano key weir, which was the first of its type completed in the United States and the only
one in the world built at different levels. She commended the engineers who worked on the
project, including Randy Bass of Schnabel Engineering, Dan Davis of ISE, and City Engineer Dave
Borkowski. Fleisch presented Borkowski, Recreation and Special Events Director Quinn Bledsoe,
and Public Works Superintendent Scott Hicks with commendations from the City.
Minutes
King moved to approve the May 2, 2019, regular meeting minutes as written. Ernst seconded.
Motion carried unanimously.
Consent Agenda
1. Consider Non-profit Funding Service Agreement - Promise Place
2. Consider Non-profit Funding Service Agreement - Fayette Senior Services
I 3. Consider FY2019 Software Subscription for Police Department
4. Consider FY2019 Budget Adjustment - Software Subscription for Police Department
Madden moved to approve Consent Agenda items 1, 2, 3, and 4. Ernst seconded. Motion
carried unanimously.
New Agenda Items
05-19-05 Public Hearing -Consider Rezoning, GI General Industrial to LUC Limited Use
Commercial, 28.04 Acres (portion of Tax Parcel 0615 028) Located off Clubhouse
Drive and the Unimproved Portion of NAECO Way
The Mayor opened the public hearing.
Planning and Development Director Robin Cailloux indicated the location of the property on the
south side of the City, saying it was an undeveloped parcel on the shore of Lake McIntosh. She
explained where it was in relation to SR 74, Dividend Drive, Crosstown Road/TDK Boulevard, and
Southpark, which became a private road called Clubhouse Drive and accessed the Planterra
Ridge Golf Course. The request was not to rezone the entire parcel; they were retaining 8.63 acres
as General Industrial (GI), but had submitted a master plan for the entire area. Surrounding uses
included the Atlanta Regional Airport - Falcon Field, a water treatment plant, holes 5 and 8 of the
Planterra Ridge Golf Course, and Lake McIntosh.
The master plan showed a main boulevard off Clubhouse Drive leading to five multi -family
apartment buildings and a clubhouse. There were single-family cluster homes and a commercial
area around a village green. Cailloux pointed out the land in the southeast portion of the property
that would remain GI, with 100,000 square feet or more of office use indicated.
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May 16, 2019
Page 2
The Future Land Use Map from the Comprehensive Plan designated the property and the area
around it as industrial, defined in the Comprehensive Plan as "manufacturing, warehousing,
processing, laboratories, and similar uses." Cailloux told Council that the Planning staff had to
address six questions when reviewing rezoning requests. The first was whether the request
conformed with the policy and intent of the Comprehensive Plan, The Comprehensive Plan had
two elements. The first was the Land Use Map, and the other was goals and policies. Staff had
identified nine goals and policies in the Plan that were applicable to this request.
The first concerned land use and development patterns and whether this use would promote the
location of industrial uses in the industrial park and commercial uses in the village centers. Because
this request included residential in addition to the commercial or office uses, staff felt it did not
meet this policy, Coilloux stated.
The next policy concerned economic development, with the goal of developing high -quality jobs
for local residents. Staff marked this as a "yes" with a light green check mark, saying that, while the
master plan showed a GI portion with two office buildings, that was not part of this request,
Cailloux explained.
Another policy called for shifting the tax base from residential to commercial and industrial use.
Cailloux noted Council had recently adopted a policy of shifting land use from 80% residential to
75% residential and increasing the amount of commercial and industrial use from 20% to 25%. Staff
had re-evaluated this request based on comments made by the public and the Planning
Qommission to determine that the master plan dedicated 35% of the land area to commercial
and office uses. This was an increase from their original determination and was based on
additional information provided by the applicant. The Planning Commission had asked about floor
area, and Cailloux reported that 28%, of the total square footage was designated for commercial
use, which met the City's policy. Staff gave the request a green check mark in this area.
Cailloux said the third economic development policy called for developers to provide the
necessary infrastructure, and they were doing that. The next policy dealt with transportation,
which concerned alternative modes, such as walking, bicycling, or golf carts. The developers
would be providing an on -site system of paths that would connect to an exterior multi -use path
system. Since the Planning Commission meeting, staff had been made aware that the path system
on the Planterra Ridge golf course was open for public access and felt that this connection
satisfied the policy.
King questioned public use of the private path system, and Cailloux said she had been provided
with a deed from the original owner of the golf course that showed that public access was
required on the Planterra paths, and an easement remained in place. King remarked that seemed
like a safety issue to him, with the possibility of someone being hit by a golf ball. He noted that
public use of the paths was not permitted on the other two golf courses in the City (owned by the
same company), adding those paths were privately owned and maintained. Cailloux noted that
they could list as a condition for approval that no connections to that system be permitted.
Cailloux said staff also looked at the policy calling for a broad range of housing opportunities with
a mix of sizes, types, and prices, and believed the applicant was providing a good mix. Another
policy asked that the developers create a sense of neighborhood by developing separate and
identifiable subdivisions surrounded by open spaces and appropriate landscape buffers. The golf
course and open space surrounded the property on three sides. One side had industrial property
across the unimproved right-of-way of NAECO Way. The applicant should offset dense residential
development with greenbelts and parks. They had provided some greenbelts and parks on the
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May 16, 2019
Page 3
property per the land development ordinance and were also requesting to contribute cash in lieu
to the park system as allowed under section 26 of the zoning ordinance.
The last policy related to conforming with the Comprehensive Plan asked if the rezoning followed
the "step down" practice in which development regressed from a higher density close to the
village center to a lower density further away. The closest commercial center was the Braelinn
Shopping Center, about 1.5 miles away, so the introduction of high -density development in this
area did not meet the policy, Cailloux concluded.
Returning to the six criteria the Ordinance required them to review, Cailloux said she. grouped
numbers 2 and 3 together due to their similarity in dealing with whether or not a proposal would
be negatively impacted by surrounding development or if surrounding development would be
negatively impacted by the proposal. This was the essential reason for zoning, she noted - to
prevent negative impacts from one use on another. The golf course and open space surrounded
the property, and residential and commercial uses were compatible with that. However, the
property was in an industrial park, with industrial development that either had recently expanded
or was planning expansions. Residential and industrial should not be beside each other. Industrial
noise would disturb nearby residents, and truck traffic would have to intermix with residential
traffic. These were the types of residential and safety impacts they tried to avoid. In this case, the
request to introduce housing in this area was not compatible with the surrounding industrial use.
The proximity to the airport was another factor, and Cailloux said staff gave this a light red "x"
because the property was affected by two types of impact zones. One was a transitional surface,
which was a three-dimensional area that began at the edge of the runway and followed a 7:1
slope up to 150 feet in the air. Anything within that bowl -like area, such as a building, a tree, even
the earth itself, would be considered an obstruction to flight by the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA). The airport had provided a transitional surface study for this property to the applicant.
Contour lines designated the elevations where a building could be underneath, but not above.
The applicant took that information and ensured that all their buildings would comply. Staff
reviewed the plan and found that they met with the transitional surface requirements.
They also had to consider the runway protection zones (RPZ, which were intended to protect
people on the ground. An RPZ was at the end of a runway and was a trapezoid shape defined
by the type of plane and the type of operations at that runway. Cailloux presented a graphic to
show changes in the RPZ since 2011, when the airport lengthened the runway. The work included
re-routing TDK Boulevard around it and converting some property from industrial to greenspace
zoning for the golf course. She showed the existing RPZ and explained that it encroached on this
property about half an acre. In 2011, the Airport Authority purchased an easement from the then -
property owner to restrict development for that RPZ. City Council had recently passed a resolution
in support of the Airport Authority's efforts to relocate a displaced threshold. Even though the
runway was extended in 2011, they were still unable to utilize its full length. White lines on her
graphic indicated the earliest location an airplane could touch down on the runway. The aircraft
could use the full length of that runway for departure, but could not use it for landings. Moving a
displaced threshold was one of the triggers that affected the RPZ, Cailloux remarked. They would
have to the RPZ, and it could change a lot. The type of planes that could use the
runway could change as well. She showed that this would impact about five acres on the
property. The RPZ protected people on the ground by prohibiting the congregation of people.
The applicant had moved all buildings and congregations of people outside the RPZ. So, Cailloux
concluded, this development would be compatible with the operations of the airport, but, in
IIL1tB general, residential was not considered compatible with airport operations.
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May 16, 2019
Page 4
The fourth question asked if the property had economic use as currently zoned. At the Planning
Commission meeting, it was discussed that the uses permitted in GI could be developed on this
property. Since then, the applicant had supplied Staff with a topography survey that showed the
average slope on the property at 11-15%. Cailloux said there was no hard and fast rule about
slope for an industrial development, but there were some rules of thumb, and this would be
considered excessive. The applicant submitted a site fit analysis for a 100,000 square foot
development that estimated a $2 million additional cost to develop this site due to the slope. She
noted that this was a large site, and the slope did not mean it was not suited for all the uses
permitted in GI. Some of those uses could be smaller or light industrial or office. There were some
restrictions, but it was still an economically viable property. She added that the applicant would
discuss some marketing efforts used in the past.
The fifth question asked if the rezoning would cause a burden to public infrastructure and services,
specifically utilities, transportation, and schools. The applicants presented a letter from the Water
and Sewer Authority (WASA) saying it could handle the development. They.also performed a
transportation study, and the City had hired a third party engineer to verify that study. They looked
at four intersections in the area: Crosstown Drive/Peachtree Parkway, TDK Boulevard/SR 74,
TDK/Dividend Drive, and TDK/Southpark Drive, where most of the site traffic would hit. Cailloux
explained that traffic engineering studies identified an intersection and reviewed it for today's
conditions, then looked at it from a no -build status, which assumed a certain amount of growth
through normal conditions. They analyzed those situations, then added the traffic generated from
the proposed development into the analysis. The intersections were assigned a level of service
(LOS), with rankings from A to F. Cailloux explained that "D" was the acceptable level it maximized
the tax dollars spent and accommodated as many vehicles as possible without the infrastructure
failing.
The intersection of Crosstown Drive and South Peachtree Parkway was identified as failing, which
was not a surprise, Cailloux remarked. The next intersection studied was TDK Boulevard/SR 74 had
a LOS of "D" today, and that would continue, even with this build. The intersection of TDK/Dividend
Drive, was currently at an LOS of "E;' which was a gray area -- not completely failing, but not
operating up to standards. The future build scenario dropped it deep into "F" territory, Cailloux
said. TDK/Southpark Drive was a "B" today and would be a "C" after development. TDK at
Dividend was not currently operating at its best, but this project would make it much worse. One
of staff's recommendations if this was approved was for the developers to share the costs of
improvements to raise it back to a "D".
This development would add about 165 new students to the Starr's Mill School Complex, which
was currently below capacity, Cailloux noted.
The final question asked if there were changing conditions that affected the use of this property.
Staff was of the opinion that there were no changes since the Comprehensive Plan was adopted.
The information about the topography showed some limitations to large scale industrial
development, but not to all development allowed in GI.
To summarize, Cailloux reported that this proposal did not comply with the Land Use Map. It did
not comply with seven of the nine policies in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. It was not
compatible with surrounding development, and the property did have viable economic use as
currently zoned. It would not be a burden on infrastructure if certain conditions were met. The
discovery of topography restrictions on the site could be considered a change in conditions that
would limit some types of development. Because zoning was a land use issue, staff recommended
disapproval of this rezoning. However, if Council did wish to approve it, staff provided a list of
recommended conditions that touched on some of the topics discussed earlier: that it comply
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May 16, 2019
Page 5
with the master plan, that elevation certificates be obtained for all structures, that the developers
n enter into a development agreement regarding traffic issues, especially at the TDK/Dividend
I intersection, that the developers improve NAECO Way from its existing terminus to TDK Boulevard,
and that they provide a note on the final plat indicating the proximity to the airport and include
notification with the sale and rental of each property.
Jason Pace, a principal at Pace Lynch Realty, and Joe Martinez, director of development with
Crescent Communities, represented the applicant. The Mayor said Council had decided to adjust
the time allowed for public input, so the applicant's representatives would get 10 minutes to speak,
and 20 minutes would be allowed on each side, pro and con, for the public. Martinez asked if
they would have an opportunity to speak after the comments, and the Mayor said only if Council
had questions.
Martinez thanked everyone for attending to hear more about their vision for Peachtree City. They
had spent a lot of time talking to residents about what they wanted.
Pace also thanked everyone and said they appreciated the public input. He went on to give a
brief history of the site, pointing out that it had been unproductive for Peachtree City and Fayette
County for 29 years. As some point, they had to question why that was, asking it they should be
looking for something more appealing to the worker of today. Peachtree City Development
Corporation (PCDC) began marketing the site as a potential headquarters in 1994, Group VI
acquired the land in 2003, and Pace Lynch had been marketing the site tirelessly with help from
the state since acquiring the site in 2016, They continued to hear that employers were no longer
moving to the suburbs where the executives lived; they were moving to the urban centers where
the talent wanted to live. Calistoa appealed to this trend, Pace said, noting there was a 40,000
square -foot headquarters site that was interested, but the company would not commit unless
Calistoa was approved, and they could have some input in to the community's development. He
mentioned the advantages a business would have if they could tour job candidates around a
walkable community and take them to a rooftop restaurant.
Martinez said they had learned that everyone loved the sense of community in Peachtree City,
and they wanted to preserve that. They were aware of concerns about proximity to Falcon Field,
traffic, and the balance between commercial and residential. When they initially submitted this
plan, it was 18% commercial, but they moved it to 28% commercial through creative re-
organization of the public green and relocation of some parking. They had conducted a sound
study, which they would address later, and were evaluating an extension of Dividend Drive to
accommodate the cart paths, as well as an extension of NAECO Way.
Martinez talked about what made this site unique from the others in the Industrial Park. The golf
course provided a buffer, as did the lake and the ponds. There were few places in proximity to
major employers that would allow employees to walk or take a golf cart to work or to a restaurant
from their homes. This development would actually get traffic off of SR 74, he remarked.
Falcon Field was not that busy of an airport, Martinez continued. A three-month analysis of the
airport showed 40 flights a day on average. A plane landed about every four nights. They had
upgraded the windows to help block noise. That brought it down from the recommended 45
decibel level, which was an industry standard, to 29.5. Noise would not be an issue inside the
residences. They had collaborated with the airport on the RPZ and wanted to allow them to
continue their plans for growth. Martinez also mentioned the deed in perpetuity.
Regarding traffic, Martinez noted that this site was zoned currently zoned for offices. Building the
same square footage of office space as they were proposing for mixed use would double the
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May 16, 2019
Page 6
number of vehicles, and 44% of that would be peak rush hour traffic. He told Council the plan
n before them would reduce the amount of potential traffic relative to something that could be
done without Council approval. They wanted to be a good partner with the City and were open
to the signalization at TDK Boulevard/Dividend Drive and the extension of NAECO Way.
Pace mentioned that 25% of the developable land in Southpark no longer had the ability to be
developed because of the relocation of the golf holes.
Martinez showed the potential cart path extension along Dividend.
Martinez went on to say that they wanted to help attract the type of businesses Peachtree City
wanted and needed and the workforce they needed.
Calistoa would provide a 9800% increase in revenue over what this land was generating as a
vacant site. Martinez said it would produce $1.9 million annually in property tax revenues. That did
not count the impact fees it would generate. They were talking about real dollars to the
community that could be used for wastewater treatment, parks, and other things the community
needed. Pace pointed out they had lost $55 million in revenue over the last 29 years.
The town green would be open to the community and accessible. It could be the site for weddings
and would be a great gathering spot during lunch and after work.
Martinez reviewed what the development would do for the community, noting its appeal as a
community gathering spot with restaurants. It would provide $20 million in tax revenue over 10
years and offer up to 175,000 square feet of office space for jobs. He showed photos of the type
I� of architecture planned for Calistoa.
The Mayor opened the floor to those who wished to speak in favor of the rezoning. Steve Brown
began to speak, but in opposition. He was informed of his error and agreed to wait.
Nancy Brogan noted that the meeting began with the Mayor talking about the forward vision of
the dam. They thought outside the box and fixed a problem to national acclaim. She said Calistoa
could be looked at in a similar vein. She and her husband would soon be empty nesters and
looked forward to having a new gathering place. They had high -income children who lived on
the Beltline in Atlanta because Peachtree City had no place like this.
Martine Yancey said she initially loved the concept, but was stuck on the fence about the
location. The more she learned about the project, the more excited she became. She saw how
much they had gone out of their way to comply with the requirements imposed by the location
near the airport. They had addressed improvements to the cart path system, which would be a
great resource to the use of Lake McIntosh. She was very impressed with the project and what it
could do for the City. Providing a site for a corporate headquarters would be a great asset for the
City.
Rita Prasad said she was member of the Peachtree City Rowing Club and appreciated the beauty
of Lake McIntosh. All of the club members wanted the project to succeed because it would
provide a wonderful venue for them to host events. A development such as this would help put
Peachtree City on the map, she remarked. It would help keep the younger generation at home.
Jim Strickland of Historical Concepts said he moved to Peachtree City 45 years ago. Thanks to
Peachtree City, he had been able to accomplish a lot. He looked at the people behind a project
and could not endorse this team more highly. He worked with Crescent Communities for many
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May 16, 2019
Page 7
years, and they were honest and followed through on what was promised. He called Jason Pace
"the future" and said he would do great things. Council looked forward when planning the
spillway, and this development would be another move ahead, working with developers to do
something great. Strickland asked them to put aside their biases and believe in their own ability.
With a little imagination, this development could boost the entire City.
Andrew Smola said he was a big fan of the proposed project. He worked for a major corporation
in town doing workforce analytics. The workforce they were trying to attract could afford single-
family homes, but that was not what they wanted. He stressed that turning'this down meant tens
of millions of dollars that would be spent in other communities. Smola said he appreciated the
human side of things, but also appreciated the finances. He questioned the wisdom of an
industrial facility directly on a water reservoir, saying it involved trusting that the facility operators
would be compliant for the next 50 or 100 years. Smola added that millennials needed
encouragement to stay in the community A development such as this would reduce commuter
traffic. Business had to almost pay a premium to attract talent to Peachtree City. This development
had a relatively small footprint. It would take a huge subdivision to produce the same kind of tax
revenue, Smola concluded.
Laura O'Neill explained that she had recently lost her husband to glioblastoma and that her
daughter would soon be graduating from high school. She would be looking to downsize from her
large home. Until Calistoa was proposed, she thought she would have to leave her friends in
Peachtree City. She had a strong desire to stay here, and Calistoa offered exactly what she was
looking for - a live/work/play community on a beautiful lake. She was grateful there was a
proposal that would utilize the lake. She said she would never support something that would be a
detriment to the area. She had looked at the issues, such as traffic and noise. She found out that
I the decibel level at night would be below audible. Noise should be a non -issue. Traffic was a
separate issue that needed to be addressed regardless of the outcome of this proposal. It seemed
as though there were plans in place. She said the current zoning would allow for something like a
self -storage facility, which was the business she owned. However, she would never advocate for
a self -storage facility there. It would be a waste of a prime site.
Tommy Ruth said he was a business owner who had been in Peachtree City for three years. He
was very engaged in the City, with the Chamber of Commerce, and with the school system. He
brought the Night Market to Peachtree City, Peachtree City was the first place he had ever
wanted to call home. He said he was the type of person who would want to live in Calistoa. He
had come here to made a difference in a positive fashion and looked forward to what tomorrow
had to offer.
Pete Wiggs, a 33-year resident, said Peachtree City needed to change. There needed to be a
place for successful young people to come back home to Peachtree City. He recalled that he
went to lunch that day at Beef O'Brady, and he was one of the youngest guys there. This City was
changing. He did not approve of all the changes, but they needed to happen. He agreed with
Strickland that they needed to look at what would happen in five or 10 years. The City had to
grow.
Fleisch asked for comments from those who were against the development.
Brown stated he had been on the County's haz-mat committee for more than 20 years, and this
area could not be evacuated quickly if there were an incident because there was only one way
in and out. Infrastructure for the roads was insufficient. Residential development at the end of a
runway was a bad decision, he remarked, just waiting for a lawsuit. The Planning Commission
made the right decision. He went on to say this was just the wrong location. This was the premier
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May 16, 2019
Page 8
1+� corporate headquarters site in the county. The County Development Authority brought corporate
locators there to see it, and they were impressed. They were actively looking for someone to take
it. The citizens recognized all the reasons why this was not an appropriate development for this
site.
Randy Hough said he was shocked to hear that Peachtree City was dying on the vine. On any
Saturday, there were thousands of people having a great time south of this site on Highway 74.
His daughter and her family came back here to live. He was concerned that the traffic study did
not mention impact on SR 74/SR54. The traffic from this development would work its way up there.
This rezoning could set a precedent, leading to similar requests in the industrial park.
Morgan Hallmon stated that Calistoa was a massive apartment complex with enough
retail/restaurant space to accommodate three average -size McDonald's. There was an airport
nearby and only one way in and out. The Planning Commission voted against it, but Council had
recently gone against other Planning Commission recommendations. Hallmon noted that another
request for 42 condominiums on the other side of the runway might have to be granted if Council
approved this. Council members talked about safety issues then. That applicant had withdrawn
his request, reserving his right to present it again. This was a similar request, just much larger. Safety
concerns were similar. While there were modifications that would lessen noise impact, that did not
lessen the noise outdoors. Indemnification clauses could be added, but it was doubtful if a court
would enforce it. He said he liked the idea of walkable spaces, but Calistoa was not the right
project.
Zaheer Faruqi commented that there was only one entry point. There was great deal of truck
traffic that would not mix well with the residential traffic. There should be another entry point if this
was approved.
Jim Savage said he was a pilot with Eastern Airlines for 24 years, managed Falcon Field for 13, and
inspected airport construction around the south for another 12. He disagreed with the noise study,
saying Martinez had described it as a three-month study, but the report said it was a four -day
study. The study indicated 40 operations (takeoffs or landings) a day, but the airport reported 205
a day. Savage questioned why none of the drawings showed the distances from the center line
of the runway. He did not know where they did the recordings for the sound study, at the top or
the bottom of the trees, which would affect the sound. The weather conditions during the study
had not been discussed. The study did not consider the two very active flight schools. On takeoff
to the northwest, the wind often drifted these students to an area right over the proposed
subdivision. Larger jets would be operating out of there now. They consumed a lot of runway and
used a lot of power for takeoff, right over the proposal. Savage said when he managed the
airport, he wanted to be a good neighbor. Putting residential near the north end of the runway
was a bad idea.
Mark Wallace stated he owned property across NAECO Way, which was very steep when he
bought it, but he developed it. They had to find the right buyer, but they could sell this property.
There was truck traffic all through the night in this area. He moved from Clayton County to get into
a solely industrial area, not an area that could be changed to residential. He did not want to see
this changed from what the original planners wanted. This was a great area for industry.
This was a lovely project, but was in the wrong location, Ralph Hale summarized. He told the
developers he hoped they could find another place.
The Mayor closed the public hearing.
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May 16, 2019
Page 9
(� King told Martinez and Pace that this was the best plan he had seen in the five and a half years
he had been on the Council. However, he had seen a request of this nature previously and
objected to it on the basis of safety and aircraft noise. He was aware there were noise abatement
options to block noise indoors, but dinner on the patio would be disturbed. Over the past five
years, there had been four emergency landings on holes four, five, and 1 1 of the golf course. This
would be taking too big a chance. He was against the proposal and was ready to make a motion.
Madden agreed that this was a terrific plan, but he was raised in the flight path to LaGuardia
Airport. When inside, the noise had been tolerable. The purpose of a development like this was
not to be inside. It was to be outdoors, enjoying the amenities. Council received many complaints
from residents of Planterra Ridge, which he felt should not have been built. He often rode his two -
wheeler around the lake and was a private pilot who flew out of Falcon Field. His concerns on
safety did not involve just planes, but the tractor -trailer truck traffic. Kids on bicycles and golf carts
vs. 53-foot tractor -trailers did not mix. Given the right marketing, they could find another Rinnai or
similar business for this prime piece of land.
Ernst said he would keep his comments short: fabulous proposal, wrong location.
Fleisch recalled that sustainability was one of the topics at the Council workshop earlier that week.
It cost $1.8 million in the General Fund and $3 million in the SPLOST to re -do the roads. That $5
million only bought 14 miles of paving in today's dollars. They had to look at ways to increase the
tax base, and something like this would do that. But, it was in the wrong place.
King moved to deny New Agenda item 05-19-04, Rezoning, GI General Industrial to LUC Limited
Use Commercial, 28.04 acres (portion of Tax Parcel 0615 028) located off Clubhouse Drive and the
Unimproved Portion of NAECO Way. Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously.
The Mayor proposed a five-minute break.
05-19-05 Public Hearing - Consider Transmittal Resolution, Capital Improvements
Element (CIE) Update
Fleisch opened the public hearing.
Cailloux explained this was an annual requirement because they collected impact fees for new
development. They also had to update the five-year Community Work Program as part of the
Comprehensive Plan. It had to be approved by the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) by
the end of June, and Council needed to approve the transmittal of the update to the DCA for
review.
Cailloux continued that it was an effort to be transparent about how impact fees were collected
and spent. There were four tables, with a summary in the fifth table. The first showed the fees
collected for the fiscal year from October 1, 201,7 to September 30, 2018. Impact fees were
collected for Recreation and Special Events, Library, Police, and Fire. There was an automatic 3%
administrative fee. They collected almost $800,000 for Recreation. These fees were dedicated to
expansion of cart paths. There were some existing projects from previous methodologies, but now
the sole dedication of those funds were to the cart paths. They had stopped collecting impact
fees for the Library, so this would be the last year they reported on them. About $42,000 was
collected for Police expansion, and $208,000 had been collected for Fire. The funds were in
dedicated and segregated accounts only for those projects.
LCailloux presented a chart of the Tier 1 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) path
expansion projects, with their projected costs, updated to the present costs. Impact fees could
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May 16, 2019
Page 10
only be used for 66% of the expansion costs. The remainder came from the SPLOST project fund.
The estimated date of completion for all these projects was 2023.
The Library's fees would be used for electronic media, while the Police funds would go for square
footage expansion with a 2025 completion date. Projects that Council approved in the 2017
methodology report were listed under Fire Protection, but they were getting ready to purchase a
new medic vehicle and an urban tactical fire vehicle.
The Community Works Program element was all of these projects combined.
Staff recommended that Council approve this transmittal.
Martine Yancey commented that when she was looking at the information in the Council packet,
Table 2 mentioned the Drake Field path connection with a start date of 2012, but elsewhere it
mentioned a start date of 2017. Cailloux said she would make sure the dates were correct.
Fleisch closed the public hearing.
Madden asked about the $465,495 figure listed for SPLOST spending for path connectivity. He
wanted to know if that was strictly for construction or could it be used to purchase land and
easements.
City Manager Jon Rorie explained that any SPLOST money or impact fee money could be used
to purchase easements. It was considered part of the project. He said the $465,000 figure was
money to be used as leverage for grant purposes.
King moved to approve the Transmittal Resolution, Capital Improvements Element update.
Madden seconded. Motion carried unanimously.
King moved to convene into executive session for pending or threatened litigation at 8:21 p.m.
Ernst seconded. Motion carried unanimously.
King moved to reconvene into regular session at 8:32 p.m. Ernst seconded. Motion carried
unanimously.
There being no further business, Ernst moved to adjourn the meeting. King seconded. Motion
carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8-
Martha Barksdale, Recording ecretary Vanessa Fleisch, Mayor
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