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Residents urge Peachtree City council to reopen Crabapple Lane gate; petition of 647 names presented
Summary
Dozens of residents told the council they want the Crabapple Lane wall and gate removed, presenting a petition of 647 signatures (253 from Peachtree City) and citing access, safety and community-connection concerns; speakers said the council took no immediate action during public comment.
Peachtree City residents used the public-comment period to press elected officials to reopen a gated closure on Crabapple Lane, a golf-cart and neighborhood access point that residents say cuts communities and emergency routes.
Holly Holfer, who said she lives on Grey Court in Tyrone and organized the petition, told the council the packet now includes 647 names, 253 of them Peachtree City residents and 19 from the nearby Kedron Hills neighborhood. "Beginning today, we will continue to inform the council of the growing number of Peachtree City residents that are demanding change," she said.
Several other speakers echoed that request. Jeff Angelo, a Peachtree City resident and local business owner, said nonresident riders who pay fees contribute to the local economy and should be allowed access by cart. "Perhaps money used to build this wall should be used to fix the golf cart paths," Angelo said, calling the closure divisive and urging neighbors to work together.
Multiple speakers read letters or petitions claiming the gate harms connectivity, slows emergency access and creates unequal access for neighboring communities. Chris Beardsley read a series of submitted comments that included a claim the wall "infringes on the fourteenth article of the Georgia State Constitution and the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution," and said the barrier "endangers and slows access times for emergency services"; that statement was presented as a resident assertion during public comment and was not accompanied by a staff legal ruling during the meeting.
Opponents of the wall framed their request in practical and emotional terms: longtime residents said Crabapple Lane had been a childhood route and that the wall appeared without community notice. Several speakers asked council members who live in Kedron Hills to consider recusal; Jill Clark specifically urged recusal when a councilperson lives in the affected neighborhood.
No vote or formal council action addressing the Crabapple Lane gate occurred during the meeting. Council members heard the comments and proceeded to other agenda business. One councilmember later said the Transportation Advisory Group would take on broader cart-path and safety issues, but residents in the room said they plan to continue submitting petitions and speaking at future meetings.
What happens next: The public comment period closed without a council decision on the gate. Residents said they will continue to press for reopening or other remedies; the council did not schedule formal action on Crabapple Lane during this meeting.
