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Residents urge council to reopen Crabapple Lane golf-cart path; proposals range from immediate reopening to trial data collection
Summary
Eight public commenters addressed Crabapple Lane and broader golf-cart access, with speakers citing safety, accessibility for an autistic resident, alleged lost funding, and a data-driven trial to reopen the gate for carts only. Several urged the council to balance neighborhood safety with community connectivity.
Public comment at Tuesday’s Peachtree City Council meeting was dominated by pleas and arguments over reopening the Crabapple Lane golf-cart access.
John Cheatham, Cindy Fallon, Skip Schaeffer and multiple other residents described personal and community impacts of the closure. Cheatham warned of unintended consequences when local traffic-control measures are imposed for a single neighborhood; Fallon described family inconvenience and asked for reconsideration. Schaeffer criticized the council’s approach and alleged the city lost $1.7 million in TIP funding related to the closure, and he asked that a councilor recuse himself if a conflict of interest exists.
Local teacher Jeff Angelo framed reopening the gate as an accessibility and equity issue, saying a young woman with autism relies on her golf cart for daily travel and that the locked gate imposes a significant hardship. Evan Holfer urged a data-driven compromise: open Crabapple Lane to golf carts only, measure traffic for a 90-day rolling average, and automatically close the path if carts originating from Tyrone exceed a 60-per-day average. Holfer said opponents’ claims of 'thousands' of carts are unsupported and asked for a memorandum of agreement among Peachtree City, Tyrone and Fayette County.
Blake Hayes, who cited local ordinance language and state code, disputed reports that Robinson Road or adjacent streets are categorically off-limits to golf carts and urged the city to avoid enforcement based on inaccurate legal interpretations. Danielle Canonen, a teacher at Hedren Elementary, described the practical impact on school commutes and asked the council to reopen the path.
Council did not take immediate action on reopening at this meeting; the comments were taken under public testimony and will inform future council discussion. Several council members signaled interest in more data and cooperative talks with neighboring jurisdictions before adopting a permanent policy change.
