The Peachtree Parkway Widening Project, Who Wants It?

The $46 million Peachtree Parkway Project (the Project) is on the list of projects to be funded by the proposed 1% special sales tax (TSPLOST). While the vote on TSPLOST will not be until July, 2012, the committee responsible is scheduled to finalize the list next Thursday, October 13th (the list must be finalized by October 15, 2011).

The committee (called the Roundtable) is composed of mayors and county commissioners from all over the 10 county Atlanta Region (there are no "areas" like Peachtree Corners represented). The list, including the Parkway Project, should concern Peachtree Corners residents individually, specially because Peachtree Corners as a community presently has no political power (not presently being a city) to provide unified input in formulating the final Parkway Project. Lynnette Howard, our District 2 County Commissioner, is not a member of the Roundtable.

As originally described, the Parkway Project was to widen Peachtree Parkway (S.R. 141) "from Peachtree Industrial Boulevard to [the] Chattahoochee River" to, among other things, "...enhance...truck operations...", to serve the Express bus route "--Doraville to Johns Creek," while relieving "congestion on I-285." The understanding was that the Parkway would be made six lanes the entire length. Apparently due to objections to the widening language, that specific language was eliminated (all the other language remaining) and the Project was approved at the Roundtable meeting October 6th. The Parkway Project description can be found under TIA-GW-056 @ http://atlantaregionalroundtable.com/documents/fact_sheets_on_list.pdf.

Nonetheless, despite requests, no amendment was made to ensure that the original widening concept would NOT be an option, and the $46 million funding remained (with a note that utilization of the funding MAY be less). If the present language is to allow flexibility, that flexibility includes the original widening concept, the widening language just being removed as politically expedient to help pass TSPLOST.

While there were discussions between Brian Allen, County DOT Director (now retired) and Todd Long, State DOT Planning Director, concerning  the widening problem, the upshot of those communications was that "[the present description] allows the flexibility to address the ultimate congestion of the corridor, which seems to be the point on which everyone agrees. The idea of 'choke-point' relief seems to both of us to be a very sound practice, and is the ultimate intent of the project." Fine and dandy, but the present Peachtree Project does not exclude six lane widening and the "flexibility" includes such by definition. If six lanes is not a possibility, say so.

What I find most telling is Mr. Allen's statement made just before leaving office, "[A]s I previously stated, there has been no concept or design work done on this project, and no decision has been made as to what the ultimate scope of the project would be."  And, as Roundtable member and Commission Chairman Nash has stated, "...no decision will be made as to WHAT THE ULTIMATE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT WILL BE UNTIL WELL AFTER THE REFERENDUM VOTE NEXT SUMMER." (emphasis supplied)

So what we have is a $46,000,000 of our tax money presently budgeted for something that has no concept or design work done and where the scope of the project will be made AFTER we vote on TSPLOST funding for it (which, by the way, is a vote of the 10 county region citizens, not just of Gwinnett County). Would you vote for a candidate for Congress who you have never seen, who says there are issues he presently favors, but who won't commit to anything until after the election?

While the Parkway may need some intersection and turn lane improvements, and some trees and other landscaping along the Parkway would add to the ambiance of Peachtree Corners, we should be well aware that pressure from North Fulton and Dekalb Counties, final decisions at the State and County level, and other regional pressures may turn our Parkway into another Peachtree Industrial south of I-285, or worse.

About the author: David Manley is a semi-retired attorney, formerly a partner in an Atlanta civil practice law firm, and a Peachtree Corners resident. His involvement in charitable and professional organizations included service as an advisory member of the Law Revision Committee, and member of the Legislation Committee, of the Georgia Bar Association.

The views and statements, above, are those only of the author and are not necessarily those of Patch or those associated with Patch.