1Oct, 2013

DeKalb County City Proposals…

…and the possible effects on the Parkwood neighborhood

Oct, 2013 2

Outline• City proposals

o Briarcliffo Lakesideo Tuckero Stonecresto City of DeKalb

• Process, timeline, reasons for city proposals• How they will effect the Parkwood neighborhood• Other options/What Parkwood residents can do to

influence decisions• Lisa Gordon – Druid Hills Charter Cluster

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Important Notes

This is an informational meeting for residents to decide what, if any, action should be taken

for the best outcome of their property and residence. Several options are available.

The presenters and organizers of this meeting are members of the community who are trying

to get the word out.

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City Proposals

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Maps

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Maps (cont’d)

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All 5 proposals currently have bills submitted to the State General Assembly:

1. City of Lakeside2. City of Briarcliff3. City of Tucker4. City of Stonecrest5. City of DeKalb

Legislative Proposals

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• Briarcliff, Lakeside and Tucker have overlapping areas• Stonecrest does not effect the Parkwood neighborhood as it is

currently proposed• All city proposals except for DeKalb have raised enough money to

begin their feasibility studies• Briarcliff would have 92,000 residents• Lakeside would have 63,000 residents• Tucker would have 55,000 residents• Stonecrest would have 77,000 residents• DeKalb would cover all current unincorporated area, or 700,000

residents• (For reference: Decatur has 19,500 residents and Brookhaven has 45,000

residents)

Proposal Details

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Process, Timeline, ReasonsBriarcliff and Lakeside only

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To form a city, these are the general steps:1. Define the community and proposed boundaries.2. Request that our elected officials introduce legislation to the General

Assembly during legislative year one.3. Commission a feasibility study of the defined area ($30,000). 4. If it is economically feasible and the community desires to move forward,

during legislative year two, legislators will discuss the bill and vote on it. If the legislation passes and is signed into law, hold a vote in our community on whether the new city should be formed.

5. If voters approve the ballot, hold elections to seat government officials, and a transition committee would be appointed by the Governor to help the local government get up and running.

6. The initial and ongoing operation of the local government on the date set out in the bill creating the new city.

Process

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• Briarcliff and Lakeside have feasibility studies underway, so if they come back as desirable options, then the state General Assembly will have a vote on them in the March timeframe of 2014

• The General Assembly cannot approve both as-is, so the options would be to:1. Vote no for one and yes for another2. Propose new boundaries for the two cities (the Assembly has not

historically proposed boundaries)3. Vote no for both

Assembly Options

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A city proposal needs to include at least 3 of the following 11 services:

Services

Briarcliff All Services LakesideLaw enforcement

Fire protection

Road and street construction/maintenance

Solid waste management

Water supply/distribution

Waste water treatment

Storm-water collection/disposal

Electric or gas utility service

Enforcement of building, housing, plumbing or electrical codes

Planning and zoning

Recreational facilities

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Shortest potential timeline would be:• City proposal is voted on by the Assembly in March

or April of 2014

-- If voted yes --• A referendum vote would take place for the

community in June, 2014

-- If voted yes --• Cityhood would take effect in January, 2015

Timeline

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• Community members believe that they can secure better resources at a local level, instead of relying on the county

• Recent cities in the greater Atlanta area have set a precedento Sandy Springs o Dunwoodyo Brookhaven

• Crime, zoning, county politics have all played a parto Clifton Ridge developmento Petty crimes, burglaries, police response timeso County politics have made the news too frequently in recent years

Reasons for Proposals

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Effects On Our NeighborhoodBriarcliff and Lakeside only

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Parkwood Map

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Considering the traditional Parkwood Neighborhood plus some properties east of the railroad tracks that are not part of Atlanta:• Some properties are split between DeKalb and Decatur• Park property• Roads that are commonly shared with DeKalb and Decatur

police and fire• Majority homeowner-occupied with a few rental properties

Boundaries of Concern

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• At present, our State Constitution provides that no new school system could be established in a newly created cityo Decatur, Atlanta and Marietta have their own city school systems which were

formed before this constitutional change and are now grandfathered in

• If city of Briarcliff or Lakeside were to form, there would be no immediate change to the existing school zoneso Attendance districts would be changed only if Dekalb County School System

redistricts

• If this neighborhood were annexed into Decatur or Atlanta, there would be a change to the existing school zones

Schools

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• New cities would have a millage rate calculated within the first year, and would see any changes to property tax rates by the second full yearo Refer to Brookhaven or Dunwoody for examples

• City proposals include tax rate assumptions – refer to websites for more information

• Decatur has a higher tax rate than Brookhaven or Dunwoody, which is primarily driven by the city school system

Taxes

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Taxes vary based on tax revenues from business, city services provided and school zoning:

Tax Examples

Location 2011 Property Tax for $300,000 home value*Atlanta (Dekalb County) $4,344

Avondale $5,074Decatur $5,835

Dekalb (unincorporated) $4,213Dunwoody $4,017Pine Lake $6,145

Source: Dekalb county prop tax calculatorhttp://www.homeatlanta.com/property_tax/dekalb_county_unincorporated.htm

*Includes standard home exemption

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What We Can Do

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• Options include, but are not limited to:1. Taking no action at this time (which could result

in our neighborhood becoming part of a city anyways)

2. Approaching the Briarcliff members to support or exclude our neighborhood

3. Seeking annexation into Decatur4. Seeking annexation into Atlanta

Our Options

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• The Druid Hills Civic Committee has begun research regarding annexation into Atlanta (might not include the Parkwoods)

• The city of Decatur has an active and ongoing annexation plan that would be at odds with certain parts of Briarcliff and Lakeside

• The city of Atlanta has not proposed any firm annexation plans for Druid Hills, but they have expressed an interest in adding this entire area

• DeKalb county officials are meeting with communities and speaking out about their efforts to improve services and dissuade residents from forming new cities

Conversations That Have Started

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• Residents of the neighborhood should research the proposals and put together their questions and concerns

• We will meet again in a few weeks to review the options and hear feedback on what residents would like to do

• representatives from Briarcliff, Decatur, Atlanta or Druid Hills Civic Association are available for future discussions if we want to get more information directly

• Next meeting – October 28th, 7:00PM at Epiphany

Keep in mind: if a proposal passes the legislature, it would then be voted on by the general population and require 50% +1 vote in order to pass. Once a city is formed, it is almost impossible for a neighborhood to leave.

Next Steps

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1. Our neighborhood is in high demand, staying a part of unincorporated DeKalb is very uncertain

2. For any city that the Parkwood neighborhood joins, keep in mind the effects of the following:o Schoolso Zoningo Taxeso Property Valueo Safety/Police Response

Final Points

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Thank YouContact us at:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/parkwood-cityhood

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Lisa Gordon

Druid Hills Charter Cluster