After years of waiting and months of debating, speculating, pontificating and regurgitating, tonight the Decatur City Commission votes on the City Manager’s annexation recommendation.  What’s the recommendation?  Like you don’t know.  Well, all right.  Here’s Ms. Merriss’ official words to the commission…

Based on the City Commission’s objectives, public comment and a cost/benefit analysis (see Attachment A), it is recommended that the City Commission consider asking the General Assembly to adopt legislation annexing areas A.3 and B.3 and annexing partial parcels where the majority of the existing lot is already within the city limits or where the residence is located in the city limits.

What do those two larger parcels look like?  Details…

The two areas include primarily commercial properties. There are approximately 56 parcels in area A.3. There is one appears to be a single family residence and one is an apartment complex that serves Emory University students; the other 54 are commercial. There are 102 parcels in area B.3. Forty-two are commercial or multi-family apartments. There are 60 single-family residences located primarily in two developments, 31 in Manor Walk and 29 in or adjacent to Medlock Commons. Combined there are 158 parcels of which 61 (39%) are residential and 97 (58%) are commercial. The City Attorney has reviewed the Georgia Code sections applying to annexations and he has offered his opinion that a referendum is only required if the area to be annexed is more than 50 percent residential. Because these two areas are less than 50% residential, it appears that a referendum would not be required if both areas are annexed.

OK, that’s about….wait.  Sorry, just a bit more.  Next steps…

• Accept the 100% petition from 5 residents of Midway Woods that was submitted before the annexation review was started and proceed with that request;
• Work with the property owners on Derrydown Way to develop a petition to be considered in the future by the City Commission;
• Have a conversation with the United Methodist Children’s Home to determine the future of annexation for that property; and,
• Develop standards for acceptance of new petitions from residential property owners.

Click over to the materials for tonight’s meeting for more info.  Also included, a cost-benefit analysis and a letter from Superintendent Phyllis Edwards to Ms. Merriss regarding to school system’s view of the potential annexation.