Decaturish reported yesterday that the one interesting tidbit out of the recent DeKalb Government Operations Task Force Meeting was…

The groups behind the proposed cities of Lakeside and Briarcliff announced that they will pursue city status together.

“We’re dating right now,” Lakeside City Alliance Chairwoman Mary Kay Woodworth said, standing next to City of Briarcliff Initiative member Allen Venet. “We’re not married yet. We’re not engaged.”

A joint effort would obviously have more chances of passing the state legislature come January, since – as the map from June 2013 shows – the two city initiatives have been interested in incorporating parts of the same area into their respective cities.  A fiscal feasibility study on a city of Lakeside back in 2013 estimated the population to be around 63,000 residents, the largest city solely in DeKalb County.

A combined Briarcliff/Lakeside city (Briarside?  Lakecliff?) would assumedly host an even larger population.  For reference, Brookhaven’s population is currently around 49,000 residents, while Dunwoody stands at around 46,000.

As reported a few days back, Decatur is planning an Annexation Master Plan, which is in direct response to escalating desire of the unincorporated areas on the northern border of the city to create their own cities within DeKalb County.

Map courtesy of MANA website