Remember the reader that recently asked about putting a Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods in Suburban Plaza? Well, my initial response had been that this plaza wasn’t even within the city limits, so the city commission had little influence on what went in there.

Well folks, that could all change as the city of Decatur thinks about expanding its borders north to N. Decatur Rd. and east along E. College towards the Avondale Estates city limits.

From GoDeKalb….

The Decatur City Commission will receive a staff report at their Jan. 22 meeting concerning possible annexation of approximately a square mile of commercial and residential property.

The city is tentatively looking at extending its northern boundary to North Decatur Road and its eastern boundary to the edge of Avondale Estates. The preliminary annexation plan could include the commercial areas at Sams Crossing and Suburban Plaza, the Forrest Hills residential area and the portion of the Methodist Children’s Home property that sits outside of the city.

Decatur City Manager Peggy Merriss said she did not anticipate the annexation would include DeKalb Medical Center. The annexation could bring 5,000 to 6,000 additional residents to Decatur.

Merriss goes on to say that the city has not “received a petition but there have been inquiries for the potential for annexation,” from residents of these currently unincorporated areas. Like any city annexation vote in the history of mankind, residents of these areas would have to weigh the inevitable property tax increase with the benefit of a more hands-on approach to development, access to Decatur municipal services (free wi-fi for Forrest Hills?) and the city’s school system.

For the city and its current residents the most obvious reason to consider this expansion would be that the city would gain a whole lotta commercial property, which if properly redeveloped, could become a cash cow in the form of property taxes. (I recall Alvin McNeely bringing up this very issue in his failed run for city commissioner-at-large). Most importantly, we could then lay claim to the nation’s very first Waffle House that sits along that portion of E. College.

So, Decatur residents…what do you think about this potential expansion that would increase our city another square mile? Are we ready and willing to redevelop a lot more mid-century commercial development in the form rundown plazas and strip malls?

If not, we might lose E. College to Avondale Estates…

“Avondale Estates Mayor Ed Rieker said in response to Decatur’s efforts, “The board will consider pretty quickly what possibility we might have for annexation. We would be looking mostly at commercial property.”

If approved by the Decatur City Commission and the state General Assembly, residents could be voting on the issue this November.

h/t: InDecatur