New city population estimates from the census put Atlanta's population at 463,878 (Sandy Springs: 2014, apartment complex)

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by waronxmas

So until someone counts it all up, ITP has anywhere from a low of 800,000 to just over a million residents. In other words, if incorporated, we'd fall in to the Top 10 or Top 15 municipalities list. Not too shabby.

I'd say those numbers are about right, waronxmas.

If I'm not mistaken the area within 285 is about 250 square miles. So that would give us a density of 3200-4000 psm.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Because there's a difference between an county establishing a fake city to keep a legitimate one from annexing unincorporated land, and a real city attempting to annex a part of another real city.

It's not really equivalent.

It's absolutely equivalent if you're talking about attitudes. (And isn't that what Cobb is being criticized for?)

Let's say Georgia law permitted one jurisdiction to annex all or part of another. Suppose Cobb wanted to carve out the ritzy northwest section of the city of Atlanta, Sandy springs wanted to expand on down to the 75/85 split, and that Brookhaven wanted to take in its entire historic district.

I'll guarantee the city of Atlanta wold have a conniption fit. It would be throwing up 10 foot wide barrier cities and anything else it could think of to stave off such encroachments.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by arjay57

It's absolutely equivalent if you're talking about attitudes. (And isn't that what Cobb is being criticized for?)

Let's say Georgia law permitted one jurisdiction to annex all or part of another. Suppose Cobb wanted to carve out the ritzy northwest section of the city of Atlanta, Sandy springs wanted to expand on down to the 75/85 split, and that Brookhaven wanted to take in its entire historic district.

I'll guarantee the city of Atlanta wold have a conniption fit. It would be throwing up 10 foot wide barrier cities and anything else it could think of to stave off such encroachments.

I think many would be supportive of creating a consolidated "Atlanta county". Of course if Cobb just wanted to further divide things up, then yes, there would be a lot of push back.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

It's absolutely equivalent if you're talking about attitudes. (And isn't that what Cobb is being criticized for?)

Let's say Georgia law permitted one jurisdiction to annex all or part of another. Suppose Cobb wanted to carve out the ritzy northwest section of the city of Atlanta, Sandy springs wanted to expand on down to the 75/85 split, and that Brookhaven wanted to take in its entire historic district.

I'll guarantee the city of Atlanta wold have a conniption fit. It would be throwing up 10 foot wide barrier cities and anything else it could think of to stave off such encroachments.

First, a city in Georgia cannot annex part of another city.
Second, the city of Chattahoochee Plantation was a fake city and it never provided it's citizens with any services. Now it would have been a REAL city and provided services, etc. then I could see it being less of a tactic by Cobb County.

[wilful]

Originally Posted by jsvh

It is literally built, owned, and run by the City of Atlanta. And part of it is in the city limits (where the original terminal was). Map with CoA boundaries (note the "island" of CoA city limits that takes part of the airport, that is the original site of the terminal): https://www.google.com/maps/place/At...!4d-84.3879824

If Mayor Reed decided tomorrow the airport would look better painted pink with purple polka dots, he could do it. (But they let the CoA airport authority do their own thing since they are self-funding)

Thanks for clarification!

[JoeTarheel]

Anyone with any knowledge of cities and urban/metro areas knows not to depend on a city-limits population as a representation of the overall city. Atlanta is obviously not simply a city of 463,000...if that was a good measure of Atlanta then our peer cities would be Omaha, Virginia Beach, and Colorado Springs while Charlotte, El Paso, and Jacksonville would dwarf Atlanta. Everyone should be able to understand that this is not the case and our peer cities are more like Philadelphia, Dallas, and Washington DC. I'm sure everyone knows this but from reading through the thread some of the comments seem to forget.

[DJDeadParrot]

Originally Posted by JoeTarheel

if that was a good measure of Atlanta then our peer cities would be Omaha, Virginia Beach, and Colorado Springs while Charlotte, El Paso, and Jacksonville would dwarf Atlanta.

Southeastern cities, by municipal population, bigger than Atlanta: Jacksonville, Charlotte, Nashville, Memphis, and Virginia Beach [very narrowly].

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by arjay57

It's absolutely equivalent if you're talking about attitudes. (And isn't that what Cobb is being criticized for?)

Let's say Georgia law permitted one jurisdiction to annex all or part of another. Suppose Cobb wanted to carve out the ritzy northwest section of the city of Atlanta, Sandy springs wanted to expand on down to the 75/85 split, and that Brookhaven wanted to take in its entire historic district.

I'll guarantee the city of Atlanta wold have a conniption fit. It would be throwing up 10 foot wide barrier cities and anything else it could think of to stave off such encroachments.

You were comparing cities annexing parts of unincorporated counties to cities annexing parts of cities. There is a difference, even in attitude, simply because of the shift in services, taxes, and various other parts of everyday life that goes along with incorporation.

Any annexation would require the people's support for it (even some hypothetical city to city). So, I am not one to say that I know better than the people who live there. I would be surprised, maybe even feel sad that that's how they felt, but it would be up to them to have it happen. There would also be some serious questions as to the reasons for those people leaving, and how it came to pass that they'd rather leave than work to improve those things.

The difference here is that Cobb didn't give its people that choice. It built a municipal wall to keep a hypothetical expansion out, without even letting its people have that option.

[wasel]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

Chamblee has had two large annexations since the census. Its footprint has to be 2 or 3 times it previous area.

The 2011 and 2013 annexations increased the footprint more than 2x.

At the same time, the development of apartment units in Chamblee has severely slowed in recent years (although there are several now in various stages of construction.)

Units added:
2000-204: 634
2005-2009: 1884
2010-2015: 24

Imagine the population growth if the Lavista Hills annexation were on the table!

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

The difference here is that Cobb didn't give its people that choice. It built a municipal wall to keep a hypothetical expansion out, without even letting its people have that option.

That's not the basis of the criticism that's voiced on these boards. Usually it's suggested that Cobb set out to prevent annexation by the city of Atlanta because of selfish, racist or other nefarious grounds. As was stated in this thread for example, it was "ugly" for Cobb to create barriers to annexation by Atlanta.

Let's say there was a rumor that a bill will be introduced in January to remove all of historic Brookhaven from the city of Atlanta and place it in the city of Brookhaven, and to move big chunks of Buckhead to the city of Sandy Springs.

I'll guarantee the city of Atlanta government would go nuts and they'd leave no stone unturned to prevent that from happening. Should Atlanta just let it go? Would action to prevent it be "ugly"?