The AJC is reporting that Representative Karla Drenner D-Avondale Estates will sponsor an annexation bill for the City of Decatur that includes areas that are part of Decatur’s Master Annexation Plan AND the area that Drenner represents. (You can view her district map HERE).
It’s basically all properties highlighted in annexation area B east of Church Street (which would include DeKalb Medical Center, Patel Plaza, Kroger, the new apartments at Church Street and Milscott Drive), north of DeKalb Industrial, and north of East Ponce up until the DeKalb Farmer’s Market (Progressive, Wagalot Kudzu, etc). It would also include Decatur Annexation Area C, which includes the United Methodist Children’s Home and some neighboring residential.
It won’t include Suburban Plaza or 4 commercial centers to the west (i.e. Publix, Emory Commons, North Decatur Plaza, etc).
City Manager Peggy Merriss indicated that the city will work with Rep. Drenner on the partial annexation. She also noted that the annexation of Suburban Plaza/North Decatur Road/Clairemont Road “doesn’t look promising for this year.” Rep. Rahn Mayo represents House District 84, which includes this area.
In related news, the AJC also reports that Rep. Drenner will also support Avondale’s annexation plan after the pro-annexation candidate, Jonathan Elmore, won last week’s Mayoral election.
Drenner tells the AJC she will submit the bills next week, provided she gets the nine necessary signatures from DeKalb County delegates.
What the Heck? Decatur needs to stop messing around with people’s lives and expectations and either annex or go away. This has been going on for years.
It is now the DeKalb state legislative delegation that is holding annexation hostage– the vote on the entire area needs to happen so everyone, residents and City/County governments, has some certainty and ability to make economic decisions.
The City of Decatur needs to quit being a bully and trying repeatedly to annex people who do not want to be annexed. I agree with Jake and AMB.
Does the annexation make sense without those desirable commercial properties? This plan gives Decatur some commercial and a lot of big apartment complexes with kids who will need a school to attend in our already overflowing school system. CSD currently doesn’t have a big number of kids from apartments, probably because most Decatur apartments are too small for families. But these Dekalb apartment complexes have plenty of 3-BR units that are popular with families with kids. Not to say the kids aren’t welcome, but the more kids we have coming into the system the more money it costs and the less feasible the annexation plan seems.
It makes sense because the gateway to the city is suddenly very important, and tells everyone what your community stands for. Would you rather have your gateway scream, “We love diversity and Bollywood” or “I heart Walmart.” This is one of the most pressing issues of our time.
Not to mention all of the apartments, condos, and townhouses that are currently under construction within the city limits.
Can’t we annex the commercial properties without picking up the apartment complexes that will further strain our school system?
An honest question here: what are the ethics behind cherry-picking commercial properties from Dekalb and not taking any residential? Effectively, you’d be taking school tax revenues from my daughter’s education in Dekalb. Are we responsible for helping you solve the overcrowding problem? And any answer that includes the phrase “but Dekalb will just waste the money anyway” is not helpful. And I really am curious – maybe cities do this all the time and it’s an accepted way of operating. I know there are some very perceptive regular posters on this blog that can explain this to me.
That would be hard to do without making Decatur look really greedy, which may be unavoidable at this point. I am not saying that I think Decatur is being greedy, but that is the common perception.
If it is in fact legal, it is not politically feasible (let alone ethical). I believe State Senator Elena Parent is on record as saying that she will not support an all or mostly all commercial Decatur annexation, which would be to the detriment to other portions of her district. I think the City made a big political error by trying for properties on the north side of N. Decatur Rd.
From a tax base standpoint, these areas seem to offer very little. Certainly not worth investing any political capital in acquiring them.
Clarification Please: Does this bill still include Decatur District A as listed on the Annexation Map?
No. That area is in Rep Mayo’s district.
Thanks. Additional Clarification: My home is in the area of “District A” that is along W. Ponce and not in Rep. Mayo’s district. Any word on what happens to us? If the COA Proposal goes forward we would be left as a small sliver of homes left in Uni DeKalb County.
I haven’t heard anything about District A. I can check on its status.
That would be much appreciated. Thank you again.
Under current law, an island such as section A is not allowed. That area would either have to go into Atlanta or Decatur, unless state law is changed.
You can introduce areas that are not in your district correct? Didn’t the Lavista Hills bill get introduced by a Dunwoody rep? If so, why don’t they get Mary M. Oliver to introduce the whole thing? Didn’t she volunteer to do just that?
What is the point of annexing all this residential without the best commercial? They should do another fiscal analysis on the revised areas to see what the tax/cost looks like? If its not good, just pull the whole thing.
Generally, they don’t want to sponsor legislation that they know has little chance of getting the legislative votes needed.
I agree with Giraffe and others, I wonder if annexation makes sense with just the area in Area B? This has the most additional housing and potential students for CoD and some of the least beneficial commercial areas from a tax standpoint. Yes it might be the area with land for a new school but the apartments will be all school kids. I seriously wonder if the benefits really outweigh the costs. Sometimes half of what you want isn’t a good deal, sometimes something is not always better than nothing.
It seems like LaVista Hills and Atlanta would be interested in these areas as well. Now, does the lack of a Decatur sponsor for areas A and western B open the door to them to either redraw their map or look into annexation? Is it too late in the game this year?
Too late in the game. And too many moving parts. I’m starting to think none of the annexation/ cityhood plans are headed for a ballot this year.
No, no, no. This is not helpful for our school funding problem. More apartments & the United Methodist Home? No, no, no.
Time to come up with a Plan B because A ain’t working.
Decatur Plan A: Annex existing commercial areas, limit potential residential housing, but still not have sufficient land or funds to build new school facilities.
Gonna need to roll the dice and annex a school building. Go east and pick up the relatively new high school north of Avondale that is temporary housing Fernbank students. Collect the DeKalb Farmers Market property in the process with property taxes and sales tax bounty, along with industrial along RIO Circle. Need to add the historic Scottdale community. Adding some diversity back into Decatur would be welcome, too. Yes it is a different city with new politics, but standing still seems an untenable position. might also pick up Robert Shaw school.
Avondale needs to stay south of CSX line. They can also go east and south for commercial and pick up all of the redevelopment possibilities around the Kensington Marta Station.
The areas west and north of Decatur are likely to be annexed into Atlanta. That includes Druid Hills, Clairmont Heights, Medlock and now McClendon.
Looks like annexation plan will fail, which means big property tax increases in Decatur, while those in unincorporated Dekalb are stuck with the sh*tty schools.
The only winners are the selfish gray hairs unincorporated who don’t want to pay taxes.
“while those in unincorporated Dekalb are stuck with the sh*tty schools…The only winners are the selfish gray hairs unincorporated who don’t want to pay taxes.”
Or you could, I don’t know, move to Decatur? Or somewhere else with better schools? Waiting around to be annexed doesn’t sound like much of a plan. Nor does blaming old people who actually chose and planned on living in DeKalb, not Decatur.
So basically you’re pissed that us gray hairs won’t pay for your children’s education? Pay for private school or move, but don’t ask me to finance your children’s education who, I hope, won’t be as heartless as your statement makes you appear.
Whodean,
Brianc is right. If you don’t like the DeKalb schools and have found that your neighborhood isn’t likely to be annexed into Decatur anytime soon, you could certainly move to Decatur.
But here’s the point I want to make about “just moving to Decatur” – which is the option ppl often mention and very often end up choosing – the Decatur bubble isn’t a long term option. As families continue to ditch DeKalb Schools/APS and move to CoD for CSD, the crowding just gets worse. And worse. There will be a straw that breaks the camel’s back, and we could possibly reach the point at which CSD schools are no longer strong bc there are just too many kids – and too few dollars – in the system. But maybe that’s the only way to get to a point where other schools are also considered good.
If Dekalb could run their school system the least bit ethically and efficiently they would be a viable alternative to Decatur. Instead it is a corrupt vile cabal.
But if you already live close to Decatur and the maps and letters indicate that you will be annexed…then for whatever reason, year after year, nothing happens.
I am reminded of that fine old saying about pots and getting off them.
“I am reminded of that fine old saying about pots and getting off them.”
There’s also an old saying about counting chickens before they hatch.
noooooo. this is a terrible idea!