On the agenda for tonight’s city commission meeting – adopting the Annexation Master Plan.  The vote was delayed 2 weeks due to a death in City Manager Peggy Merriss’ family.

If you’re wondering how this works in regards to the school board having delayed it’s own vote of support for the master plan, the AJC’s Bill Banks reported late last week…

“I would think [the plan] would be considered with some contingent language referencing the City Schools adopting a resolution of support,” City Manager Peggy Merriss wrote in an email. “The City Commission wants to be supportive of [the board], so I am sure that they would take [its] concerns to heart in making a decision.”

The City of Decatur has released a map (PDF) that shows the proposed areas surrounding the current city limits, which Decatur wishes to annex.  Multiple cityhood initiatives around DeKalb County have put the city under pressure to take a final stand on annexation before all surrounding, unincorporated areas are incorporated into new cities.

Decatur’s map includes many areas that have been discussed around here before.  Here’s an attempt at a verbal description of the map above:

• Area A Part 1: Adjusts the city’s western border to follow the north/south rail line to the west (The one that runs over West Ponce).  This would incoprorate two small, single family residential areas on the city’s western border.  The city has long stated a desire to “clean up” this border.  This annexation would also include the western entrance to the city, where the city’s large sign lives. (Photo right)
• Area A Part 2: Area A also includes annexing commercial property around the North Decatur/Clairemont Ave intersection.  The annexation would include the Publix plaza (formally known as Emory Commons), stretch as far north as North Decatur Plaza (Bicycle South, Mattress Firm, Wuxtry, etc) and as far west as the Kinkos/Willy’s plaza.  It would also include annexing single-family residential along Landover Drive.
• Area B: This is the big commercial/industrial annexation.  The area stretches from the existing northeast city line, which currently cuts rather arbitrarily through neighborhoods to the west/southwest/south of Suburban Plaza, up to a little north of the intersection of DeKalb Industrial and Lawrenceville Hwy.  (It looks like the northern most property is where Chaat House opened up along Lawrenceville Hwy last year).  That northern edge runs behind the Tuxworth Springs condos.  To the east, the line runs along Jordan Lane, between the Carriage Place apartments (inside the proposed line) and Washington Park cemetery (outside the proposed city line).   Where Jordan Lame dead-ends into North Decatur, the line turns west and then dips south behind the Big Kroger plaza and other commercial/industrial along DeKalb Industrial Way before turning a bit to the east to incorporate industrial along the southern portion of DeKalb Industrial (think Wag-a-Lot), up East Ponce to Kudzu. It then dips south to include all commercial/residential between North Arcadia and East Ponce west of Kudzu.
• Area C: Annexes the United Methodist Children’s Home and some residences north along Derrydown Way.
• Area D: Cleans up the southeast corner of the city line, incorporating some single family residential along McKinnon Rd/Way, Oldfield and Conway.

P.S. Avondale – That’s plenty to digest, but also note that the proposed mapped annexations of Avondale to the east, which includes all the single family residential on the west side of the city between Decatur and Avondale, but also – most notably – industrial/commercial to the north up to and including the giant, expanding DeKalb Farmer’s Market.

As previously reported, Decatur is planning to review the annexation master plan with the community this fall, with a final vote scheduled for November. It would then put before the Georgia Legislature for its January 2015 session.

It’s been such a long time…

Pulled from Old Decatur’s Historic District Nomination Form.

Ever notice that Decatur has little feet?