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FAYETTE
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INSIDE:
Starr’s Mill to Baseball Final
Four, McIntosh Stays Alive, Bl
VOL 151, NO. 19
WEDNESDAY, May 10, 2023
$1.00
INSIDE: Fayette Historical Society Hosts JuneteenthYouth Poetry Contest, A3
INSIDE: Report oj Unidentified Baby Leads to Arrest for Multiple Felonies, A3
PTC Council Revisits Short-Term Rental Ordinance
Discussion to Continue at Next Workshop
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
PEACHTREE CITY -
After nearly one year of
tabling the discussion,
Peachtree City Council
members were re-intro-
duced to the idea of imple
menting a short-term rental
ordinance during a council
workshop on May 2.
Peachtree City Planning
and Development Director
Robin Cailloux began pres
entation of the ordinance,
which she says was tabled in
consideration of a noise or
dinance and a part house
ordinance. Since then, staff
readjusted the proposed
process for regulating short
term rentals in the city.
Cailloux defined short
term rentals as “any
home/bedroom rented to a
transient person for less
than 30 days at a time,”
which coincides with Geor
gia’s definition.
“We want to make sure
to protect the health and
safety of our current res
idents and our visitors, as
well as preserve the residen
tial character of our neigh
borhoods,” explained
Cailloux, who said staff
looked at similar ordinances
throughout the state and
found “common tools,” such
as requiring owners to have
a local contact available for
emergencies or issues, en
forcement of fire and build
ing codes, and preserves the
residential character of
neighborhoods through reg
ulating parking, noise and
events, and garbage.
“Such as where parking
can and cannot occur, noise
levels, special events that
can or can’t be held at the
site, and even garage and
how it’s stored,” Cailloux
said.
“The proposed ordi
nance would require an an
nual permit and it would be
allowed in anything that is
residential,” Cailloux ex
plained. “It would not be al-
See Short-Term Rental, A5
Sewer Spill
Reported at
Whitewater
Creek WPCP
Pipe replacement began
on May 8 to combat a sewer
spill that occurred May 5 at
Whitewater Creek Water
Pollution Control Plant in a
nearby stream, according to
Clear Water Solutions Proj
ect Manager Alicia Bigford,
who advises that all avoid
direct contact with the
See Sewer Spill, A3
FV Public Hearing
Slated May 18 for
Stormwater Utility
Fee Increase
An amendment to in
crease the Fayetteville Storm
water Utility fee from $4.37
per equivalent residential unit
to $6.75 per ERU, effective
June 1, will be discussed in a
public hearing by Fayetteville
City Council and mayor on
Thursday, May 18, at 6 p.m. at
Fayetteville City Hall, located
at 210 Stonewall Avenue West
in Fayetteville.
Following, the rate shall
automatically increase five
percent per year starting Aug.
1, 2024, ending July 31, 2027.
According to city officials,
the fee increase is due to rising
costs associated with state and
federal regulations, as well as
rising costs associated with
maintenance of the city’s aging
stormwater infrastructure.
This is the first rate in
crease for the stormwater util
ity since 2004.
Related information is
available at city hall between 8
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday-Fri-
day.
Sandy Creek High alum Brian Branch was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of
the 2023 NFL Draft. Courtesy of Fayette County Schools
PTC Council Eyes
Potential Film
Industry Ordinance
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
PEACHTREE CITY -
From Trilith to Tyrone, the
film industry has impacted
Fayette County com
munities financially and
produced many films the
world has come to know and
love. In the May 2 Peachtree
City Council workshop,
members discussed whether
to bring filmmaking to
Peachtree City.
Presentation of a pro
posed film ordinance was
led by Cathy Wilder, recrea
tion programs manager,
and displayed different
ideas on the notion that film
could potentially boost reve
nue for the city, as well as
engagement for the com
munity.
“As you may know, the
film industry has grown tre
mendously in Georgia,”
Wilder began. “The gov
ernor’s office reported $4.4
billion spent by the film pro
duction industry in fiscal
year 2022. Over 400 pro
ductions were done in Geor
gia and a lot of them were
done here in Fayette
County.”
Wilder highlighted that
the city was receiving a lot of
“inquiries” about an in
crease in filming and the
complexity regarding logis
tics of how films could be
See Film Industry, A5
Sandy Creek Alum Brian
Branch Picked
Another Patriot is mak
ing the move from Tyrone
to Motown.
Sandy Creek High alum
Brian Branch was selected
by the Detroit Lions in the
second round of the 2023
NFL Draft.
Last season, Branch was
a first-team all-American
safety for the University of
Alabama.
Branch will head to De
troit with hopes of replicat
ing the success of fellow
Patriot Calvin Johnson.
Johnson was drafted
number two overall in 2007
and progressed to an illus
trious career with the
Lions, which culminated
with induction into the Pro
Football Hall of Fame in
2021.
Resurfacing efforts recently begin at Riley Field. Courtesy of PTC
PTC Begins Track
Resurfacing at Riley Field
Gerresheimer Looking to
Expand in Peachtree City
Company CEO: About 189 New Employees Needed
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
Gerresheimer Pres
ident and CEO Fred How-
ery addressed Peachtree
City Mayor and City Coun
cil during its April 20
meeting, expressing hopes
to expand the scope of the
company in Peachtree
City.
During the meeting,
Howery provided the
council and mayor with a
presentation stating po
tential plans for the expan
sion, as well as what would
be needed to thrive while
bringing opportunities for
employment to the busy
city.
“We need a total of
about 189 employees, and
that’s to support the
Peachtree City location, in
addition to the 220 em
ployees that we already
have,” Howery said.
Gerresheimer is a Ger
man manufacturing com
pany in Peachtree City that
specializes in medical de
vices, such as inhalers, test
cards for microbiological
test systems, various com
ponents for insulin deliv
ery, and closures for am
poules.
According to Peachtree
City Mayor Kim Learnard,
the company currently
employs “a couple hun
dred people” in the city,
but wishes to expand to a
broader spectrum.
“They are in the pro
cess of expanding and they
will soon hire another 189
people. The expansion of
Gerresheimer and Sholle
IPN and CertainTeed and
so many others means that
people want to be in
Peachtree City,” Learnard
said.
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
PEACHTREE CITY -
After Peachtree City Coun
cil’s approval of resurfacing
the track at Riley Field, the
project began at the conclu
sion of April.
The project is expected
to involve demolition and
disposal of existing asphalt,
along with elimination of
the curbing requirement
and addition of rubber sur
facing. The first phase of the
project, installation of the
asphalt layer, has been com
pleted. The next phase of
applying the rubberized sur
face will take place once the
asphalt has cured, accord
ing to city officials.
This decision was de
bated by the council, as the
project was first met with
skepticism related to fund
ing.
The debate began during
the Oct. 6 city council meet
ing, when council members
began to discuss the best
option regarding resurfac
ing material.
While Mayor Kim Lea-
nard supported the rubber
ized surface, Councilmen
Mike King and Phil Prebor
presented questions regard
ing additional cost, citing
that they were unaware of
any track and field events
held at the location.
“For the numbers of
folks we have there, I just
See Resurfacing, A6
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