Atlanta Eyes Annexing CDC, Emory University Areas

City of Atlanta officials are pushing for the region that includes Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control campuses to be annexed by Atlanta, saying it’s a natural fit for a DeKalb County area that feels like part of the city.

The Politics Insider column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the proposal would be significant for both Atlanta and DeKalb County.

The pundits write: “It would be the most extensive expansion of Atlanta’s boundaries in decades, and could significantly change the city’s political dynamics. On the opposite side, loss of the area could be a tremendous loss of prestige and financial wherewithal for DeKalb.”

The possible annexation bid would also bring the complete school zones for Briar Vista Elementary and Fernbank Elementary into the city of Atlanta, the column says.

The group Together in Atlanta shared a letter it sent to Rep. Amy Carter, who is overseeing annexation bids at the legislature. The letter was shared on the organization’s Facebook page, along with a map of its suggested boundaries in the region.

Together in Atlanta leaders wrote that the group’s formation “is an outgrowth of the anticipated further municipalization of central and north DeKalb County being handled by (Carter’s) committee. The attached map of a proposed Atlanta annexation helps to prevent an unincorporated island at Atlanta’s eastern boundary, allows the neighborhoods in the proposed annexation area to preserve their elementary school zones within the same local governmental jurisdiction, and creates a manageable service area for municipal services.”

Cityhood has been a hot topic for a couple of years in DeKalb County.

Groups for Lakeside, Briarcliff and Tucker have been working since the past legislative session ended to draw proposed boundaries for their possible cities.

After more than six months of work, cityhood groups LakesideYES and the City of Briarcliff Initiative have submitted a proposal to state legislators to unify the two communities under the name LaVista Hills, Patch recently reported.

The new city found its namesake in LaVista Road, which runs throughout the area, and in the region’s hilly landscape, former Lakeside Yes organizer Mary Kay Woodworth told Neighborhood Newspapers.

If approved, LaVista Hills will become the county’s largest city, encompassing neighborhoods in north and central DeKalb County that are home to about 72,000 residents.