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Old 02-04-2018, 08:50 AM
bu2
 
23,872 posts, read 14,652,785 times
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Saw an interesting article the other day from Texas. Texas just changed their liberal annexation laws to make them more restrictive, requiring a vote in counties over 500k, which they didn't before. Houston has done very limited annexation the last 20 years because of political pressure from the state legislature. But a Harris County (Houston) commissioner was commenting that all the people in the unincorporated area was getting to be a problem as counties weren't set up to provide city services. There are getting to be close to 2 million people in the unincorporated part of the county.

Here the counties do have the power to do city services, but they generally don't do it well and it creates unnecessary conflict, like the case where Gwinnett and its cities were suing each other over the price of services. So taxpayers were paying for both sides of the lawsuit.

I'd like to see Vista Grove pass. Its not a tiny city. If passed, it will be the most populous city in DeKalb County.
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Old 02-04-2018, 01:25 PM
 
Location: Seattle, WA
9,830 posts, read 7,176,658 times
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I don't oppose incorporations and annexations, but it just creates a total silliness as a result. Maps make no sense now.

City of Lithonia for example, is just a tiny circle. With a population of only like 2,000 people. But everything around there for miles has Lithonia identity/history, Lithonia address, roads and things named after Lithonia. But now it's all the City of Stonecrest. Which is just a shopping mall that was built in the 21st century.

I don't understand why tiny Lithonia and massive Stonecrest couldn't have come together and merged into one thing, and called it Lithonia. Then it would have an actual historic downtown, and some identity and history. And postal address would match.

That's just one example of many. South Fulton is a total complete mind-boggling mess. Greenhaven proposal is ridiculous. Even this city of Vista Grove makes sense for the area around LaVista and Oak Grove, but does it need to include far way OTP areas at Pleasantdale Rd, that are right next to Tucker?

I'm glad incorporation madness hasn't hit Cobb, and I hope it doesn't, but if it does then I hope things are gone about logically, and there's some kind of sensible overall plan.

Like I would actually be totally fine with a Marietta-Cobb city-county consolidation. With everything just becoming a neighborhood of Marietta.

I can see why a mostly unincorporated county is maybe not ideal, if most people don't live in the few cities, and don't get sufficient levels of services and whatnot. But I also don't see how tons of cities is the most ideal way of doing it either.
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Old 02-04-2018, 03:00 PM
 
Location: NW Atlanta
6,495 posts, read 6,071,852 times
Reputation: 4453
Quote:
Originally Posted by primaltech View Post
I don't oppose incorporations and annexations, but it just creates a total silliness as a result. Maps make no sense now.

City of Lithonia for example, is just a tiny circle. With a population of only like 2,000 people. But everything around there for miles has Lithonia identity/history, Lithonia address, roads and things named after Lithonia. But now it's all the City of Stonecrest. Which is just a shopping mall that was built in the 21st century.

I don't understand why tiny Lithonia and massive Stonecrest couldn't have come together and merged into one thing, and called it Lithonia. Then it would have an actual historic downtown, and some identity and history. And postal address would match.

That's just one example of many. South Fulton is a total complete mind-boggling mess. Greenhaven proposal is ridiculous. Even this city of Vista Grove makes sense for the area around LaVista and Oak Grove, but does it need to include far way OTP areas at Pleasantdale Rd, that are right next to Tucker?

I'm glad incorporation madness hasn't hit Cobb, and I hope it doesn't, but if it does then I hope things are gone about logically, and there's some kind of sensible overall plan.

Like I would actually be totally fine with a Marietta-Cobb city-county consolidation. With everything just becoming a neighborhood of Marietta.

I can see why a mostly unincorporated county is maybe not ideal, if most people don't live in the few cities, and don't get sufficient levels of services and whatnot. But I also don't see how tons of cities is the most ideal way of doing it either.
Everyone wants to run their own fiefdom.
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Old 02-04-2018, 03:24 PM
 
16,633 posts, read 29,310,669 times
Reputation: 7555
Quote:
Originally Posted by primaltech View Post
I don't oppose incorporations and annexations, but it just creates a total silliness as a result. Maps make no sense now.

City of Lithonia for example, is just a tiny circle. With a population of only like 2,000 people. But everything around there for miles has Lithonia identity/history, Lithonia address, roads and things named after Lithonia. But now it's all the City of Stonecrest. Which is just a shopping mall that was built in the 21st century.

I don't understand why tiny Lithonia and massive Stonecrest couldn't have come together and merged into one thing, and called it Lithonia. Then it would have an actual historic downtown, and some identity and history. And postal address would match.

That's just one example of many. South Fulton is a total complete mind-boggling mess. Greenhaven proposal is ridiculous. Even this city of Vista Grove makes sense for the area around LaVista and Oak Grove, but does it need to include far way OTP areas at Pleasantdale Rd, that are right next to Tucker?

I'm glad incorporation madness hasn't hit Cobb, and I hope it doesn't, but if it does then I hope things are gone about logically, and there's some kind of sensible overall plan.

Like I would actually be totally fine with a Marietta-Cobb city-county consolidation. With everything just becoming a neighborhood of Marietta.

I can see why a mostly unincorporated county is maybe not ideal, if most people don't live in the few cities, and don't get sufficient levels of services and whatnot. But I also don't see how tons of cities is the most ideal way of doing it either.

If incorporation ever his Cobb County, I hope they are logical as well.

Here are the cities I propose:
Marietta (greatly expanded)
Kennesaw (greatly expanded)
Acworth (greatly expanded)
Powder Springs (greatly expanded)
Austell (greatly expanded)
Smyrna (expanded)
Sope Creek
Willeo Park
Shallowford Heights or Shallowford Forest
Sandy Plains
Noonday Creek
Lost Mountain
Mableton

Vinings/Cumberland/Riverline Area/Six Flags Area --> Annexed by the City of Atlanta
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Old 02-04-2018, 03:25 PM
 
16,633 posts, read 29,310,669 times
Reputation: 7555
Quote:
Originally Posted by primaltech View Post
I don't oppose incorporations and annexations, but it just creates a total silliness as a result. Maps make no sense now.

City of Lithonia for example, is just a tiny circle. With a population of only like 2,000 people. But everything around there for miles has Lithonia identity/history, Lithonia address, roads and things named after Lithonia. But now it's all the City of Stonecrest. Which is just a shopping mall that was built in the 21st century.

I don't understand why tiny Lithonia and massive Stonecrest couldn't have come together and merged into one thing, and called it Lithonia. Then it would have an actual historic downtown, and some identity and history. And postal address would match.

That's just one example of many. South Fulton is a total complete mind-boggling mess. Greenhaven proposal is ridiculous. Even this city of Vista Grove makes sense for the area around LaVista and Oak Grove, but does it need to include far way OTP areas at Pleasantdale Rd, that are right next to Tucker?

...
You are so right about all that Stonecrest, Greenhaven, Lithonia, South Fulton, Vista Grove madness.
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Old 02-04-2018, 03:43 PM
 
Location: Seattle, WA
9,830 posts, read 7,176,658 times
Reputation: 7772
Quote:
Originally Posted by aries4118 View Post
If incorporation ever his Cobb County, I hope they are logical as well.

Here are the cities I propose:
Marietta (greatly expanded)
Kennesaw (greatly expanded)
Acworth (greatly expanded)
Powder Springs (greatly expanded)
Austell (greatly expanded)
Smyrna (expanded)
Sope Creek
Willeo Park
Shallowford Heights or Shallowford Forest
Sandy Plains
Noonday Creek
Lost Mountain
Mableton

Vinings/Cumberland/Riverline Area/Six Flags Area --> Annexed by the City of Atlanta
Other than the city-county consolidation idea, my preference for Cobb would be to split everything up according to zip codes/historic address. Here's a list of them:

https://www.zip-codes.com/county/ga-cobb.asp

So most of the county would be in Marietta, while 30080 and 30082 would be city of Smyrna. 30126 would be incorporated as a new city of Mableton. And cities of Acworth, Kennesaw, Powder Springs and Austell would have city limits = to each of their zip code(s).

That would cover everything except my zip code 30339, which could either join Atlanta, or become a new city of Vinings (that would contain the Cumberland area as a district.)
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Old 02-04-2018, 03:45 PM
 
16,633 posts, read 29,310,669 times
Reputation: 7555
Quote:
Originally Posted by primaltech View Post
Other than the city-county consolidation idea, my preference for Cobb would be to split everything up according to zip codes/historic address. Here's a list of them:

https://www.zip-codes.com/county/ga-cobb.asp

So most of the county would be in Marietta, while 30080 and 30082 would be city of Smyrna. 30126 would be incorporated as a new city of Mableton. And cities of Acworth, Kennesaw, Powder Springs and Austell would have city limits = to each of their zip code(s).

That would cover everything except my zip code 30339, which could either join Atlanta, or become a new city of Vinings (that would contain the Cumberland area as a district.)

That could work. My idea expands upon and enhances what you posted.

As a down and dirty raised-in-East Cobber, my proposal is top-notch. What you wrote is useful, though, and goes hand-in-hand with my post above.
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Old 02-04-2018, 04:05 PM
 
Location: Seattle, WA
9,830 posts, read 7,176,658 times
Reputation: 7772
Also the sections of far-eastern Cobb that have a Roswell address, should join Roswell.

The neat thing about zip codes/address, is that they're usually clean borders, and for the most part they were determined by an objective outsider, (the federal govt a long time ago), based on what areas are closer to what historic towns.

Like when I was in high school, our neighborhood had a Lawrenceville address, but the neighborhood across the road was in Suwanee. Collins Hill HS was in Suwanee, and Collins Hill park across the road from the HS is in Lawrenceville. Because if you look at map, that whole area is halfway between historic Lawrenceville and historic Suwanee. So it's just simply a border area.

Bringing this back to Vista Grove, little different, as that whole area has an Atlanta address, but doesn't belong in City of Atlanta. Too suburban in character and far away from the core. So at least one new city makes sense, but does all of that large area need to be in the same city?

I think Tucker should get all the OTP and Vista Grove should get all the ITP. And the LaVista Park/Woodland Hills area should annex into Atlanta, along with the rest of that whole Druid Hills area. Medlock Park/North Decatur area should be allowed to join City of Decatur. And Scottdale should probably be a new city.
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Old 02-04-2018, 04:21 PM
 
Location: Kirkwood
23,726 posts, read 24,709,235 times
Reputation: 5702
Quote:
Bringing this back to Vista Grove, little different, as that whole area has an Atlanta address, but doesn't belong in City of Atlanta. Too suburban in character and far away from the core. So at least one new city makes sense, but does all of that large area need to be in the same city?
Atlanta zip codes extend into Dunwoody and Cumberland.
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Old 02-04-2018, 04:29 PM
 
Location: Seattle, WA
9,830 posts, read 7,176,658 times
Reputation: 7772
Quote:
Originally Posted by cqholt View Post
Atlanta zip codes extend into Dunwoody and Cumberland.
Here is a map of the total area that has an Atlanta address/zip code (or at least optionally valid):

https://www.zip-codes.com/city/ga-atlanta.asp

It extends into all 5 of the core counties, with even a little bit in Gwinnett.

If that were the city limits, Atlanta would have about 1 million residents.
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