DeKalb Farmer’s Market Owner Says He Wants to Join Briarcliff
Decatur Metro | September 25, 2014 | 10:01 amDecaturish had an interesting annexation-related report late yesterday that Robert Blazer spoke for an hour before the Avondale Estates Men’s Club and expressed his opinion that he didn’t want to become part of Avondale or Decatur. He’d rather stay part of unincorporated DeKalb, and if that’s not possible, join the largest city possible. In this case that would be Briarcliff.
Good quote from Decaturish…
“Look I’m a county guy,” Blazer said. “I came from representing DeKalb County, so it’s hard for me to get this whole idea of everybody splitting up from DeKalb County, not just here but everywhere. It’s been hard for me to see that. To me, the county was the county. So it’s hard for me to even think about, really. I don’t like to think about it. It really lets me know that we’ve failed as a county to provide the services we need to provide in an honest open way.”
Blazer spoke to reporters after the meeting. He said he has been approached by officials in Avondale Estates, Decatur and parties looking to form a new north DeKalb city, previously known as Briarcliff. Briarcliff is supposed to be working with Lakeside on a collaborative proposal to create one large city. Blazer said the idea of joining a larger community appeals to him.
“I’d like to be part of the biggest one I could be a part of,” Blazer said. “”Because I’d like the market’s revenue go the biggest area.”
If you haven’t read it yet, there’s lots of interesting info in the post relating to Decatur, Avondale and annexation, including word that Rio Circle business owners on signing a petition to be included in Decatur’s annexation plan, even though they aren’t currently.
Decaturish followed up this morning with a second report based on Blazer’s talk, detailing his comments on the DeKalb Farmer’s Market expansion.
It really lets me know that we’ve failed as a county to provide the services we need to provide in an honest open way.”
Sadly, yes.
“”Because I’d like the market’s revenue go the biggest area.”
The problem with that statement is that none of the tax revenue generated by his establishment would go to any locality other than DeKalb County, where it goes now anyway.
Sales tax, yes. But wouldn’t he owe ad valorem taxes on the property to any city in which the market sits, in addition to the (reduced) county portion?
Perhaps, but remember the largest share of that is school tax, which continues to go to the County.
Unless Briarcliff forms its own school district…. 😉
Not likely. Would require and act of God, er Legislature.
I’m not convinced that won’t happen in the next few years. A coalition of “small government”/Tea Party types and Concerned Parents could push it through.
If Braircliff happens, and is as big as it seems it might be, there should be plenty of revenue there…
If Balzer doesn’t want to be a part of Avondale or Decatur then why is he building an enormous market there? I’ve lived in City of Decatur since 1988 and shopped at the first DFM on Medlock and I have to say, the quality of the DFM has really gone down. Most of the people working there couldn’t direct you to any of the merchandise sold there – I am constantly walking people to the right aisle. Don’t even think you can go in as soon as they open and expect the shelves to be stocked.
Maybe they should just move OTP.
When he bought the land, he bought it in unincorporated Dekalb. So I’m guessing that’s where he thought he would stay. Just because someone doesn’t prefer to get swallowed up by a new city, isn’t a rejection of said city, or mean that they they have an OTP “prefab housing is fabulous” mentality.
The whole annexation conversation has really bought out the ugliest of people. Whose children are more worthy of a better education, who needs to go where, etc… After all this sht is over most of us will still be neighbors so people need to start acting like it
“After all this sht is over most of us will still be neighbors so people need to start acting like it” — Somebody ought to put that on a t-shirt, and a bumper sticker, too.
or maybe he should just keep doing things the way he wants to do things where he’s been doing things and you should just shop somewhere else and leave him and his views on annexation be?
+1
+2
I haven’t darkened his establishment’s door in 20 years.
i don’t even care—we’ve already got enough mop bucket smell in Decatur any way.
Why really should any business want to be annexed into a city? They pay more taxes and don’t get many more, if any, added services. It’s the reciprocal reason the city wants you in the first place–they get more revenues and without corresponding usage of city services. In this zero sum game, the net gain for the city is a net loss for the business.
Blazer may be a model citizen of wanting to support DeKalb County and not take divert tax revenues to richer cities, but it is more likely that he just wants to make more money by spending less on taxes, which is probably the reason he chose unincorporated DeKalb in the first place.
Eh. Having spoken with some friends who live in Brookhaven, having a police department that’s a mile away versus five miles away can be a big deal in an emergency. With a building the size and scope of The YDFMPlex, access to immediate fire and emergency response isn’t a bad idea.
That new eyesore he’s created can be its own city for all I care. A city I will never visit.
Decatur – a city of homes, schools, places of worship, and the largest, foulest smelling supermarket in the northern hemisphere.
+1
How much of the Commercial property that City of Decatur has over the years has been lost to their over taxing? I know that GMC parts, Wacovia, and First Union left. How much revenue has the City of Decatur lost to doing Mixed use in the City? If the City of Decatur annex more commercial property will the properties owners just turn it into mixed use and create more burden on the School System. I notice that most of the Business at Suberban Plaza are moving very fast out of the area. May be because of Walmart or City of Decatur.
Wachovia and First Union didn’t own any property in Decatur, did they? They leased, I think. And Wells Fargo is what’s left of that anyway, and Wells Fargo is still leasing.
City of Decatur has never had a big commercial tax base. Mixed use is one way to increase it. Another is annexation.
I appreciate that YDFM employs so many refugees and immigrants, but does YDFM give back to the community in any way at all? Has its logo appeared on any promos for charity events? Does it in any way support the Atlanta Food Bank? Is the recycling area a profit center or a public service? There’s absolutely no indication of anything community oriented on the YDFM website, just a lot of mumbo jumbo like this:
“Our Stand:
We declare the world is designed to work. We are responsible for what does not work. We make the difference.
No matter how technologically advanced we become, we cannot escape our fundamental relationships with food and each other. The possibility of these relationships is the world market. In this context, the world works for everyone free of scarcity and suffering.
We commit ourselves to the possibility this world market is for the future generations of this planet.”
Huh?
Somebody please tell me that YDFM is a good corporate citizen and explain why.
“Give back”?
Did he take something? Isn’t providing what is the envy of most other people who don’t have something like YDFM, what he has given? I know there are silly folks that like to complain about the smell, or rules, or the cold, blah blah blah, but that place is envied by most everyone that doesn’t have daily access. Be appreciative people. And can you just throw aside the “employs so many refugees and immigrants”? And how do you know that Blazer doesn’t give on a personal level?
I don’t know if Robert Blazer gives personally or if the YDFM does. That’s why I was asking.
Nobody is obligated to “give back”, but it’s nice. Good corporate citizenship is usually good business, too.
As far as immigrants and refugees, I was just trying to find something nice to say. I have witnessed several ugly examples of management style at YDFM and rarely shop there.
Why is it silly to complain? A well run business listens to feedback from customers and former customers and uses it to improve.
To understand the YDFM “stand” statement, see Erhard Seminars Training (est) and the Human Potential Movement.