Possible New Metro Atlanta Cities? (Sandy Springs, Roswell: condo, neighborhood, schools)

[GF72]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

No doubt

Plus it would make Atlanta look even more pathetic in the encyclopedias than it does now. It would seem like a 300,000 population, poor city, with 1/3 its skyline gone.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by JPD

As a Tucker resident, I feel it's only fair to point out that in many ways Dekalb county has been very good to Tucker. Not that we don't have our share of problems, but there are a lot of good things going on in Tucker which the county deserves a lot of credit for.

We currently have a new High School and library under construction.
A few years ago we got a new Middle School where an abandoned and decrepit hospital used to sit.
New greenspace/parkland (John's Homestead and Tucker Nature Preserve, to name two) is in the works.
A new police precinct opened in Tucker a few years ago.
A notoriously difficult intersection has recently been redesigned/improved.
New sidewalks and bikelanes are in place leading to the middle school.
(I had a much longer list of positives, but I haven't given this issue much thought in a year or so, so I'm forgetting several examples).

I'm sure there are a lot of benefits to cityhood (better code enforcement, localized police force to name two), but I've attended a lot of the Tucker Civic Association meetings and discussed the issue on various Tucker forums, and most of the arguments in support of cityhood that I've heard either don't hold up to scrutiny, are diversionary tactics to scare people or are ideas that are 100% in opposition to what I and a lot of other residents feel is positive progress.

Cityhood or not, Tucker has up till recently been one of the metro's best kept secrets. Great location, safe, pretty neighborhoods at surprisingly good prices. I hope the plans for downtown revitalization move forward in a timely manner.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

I hope the plans for downtown revitalization move forward in a timely manner.

Yeah, we Tucker folks have been saying that for at least 10 years. Maybe now that the neverending studies have been done and the money is in place there'll be some construction going on. I think the delay (THIS delay, as opposed to the years and years of previous delays) has to do with Georgia Power relocating some utility lines and poles.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by GF72

East Cobb should not be all those seperate towns... they can be designated as districs with street sign toppers, but an incorporated city needs to be able to support itself financially and provide police and fire services. You can't do that with 10 different 10,000 population areas. Plus East Cobb is the popularly accepted term for the whole area, it's all over the signage and people's speech. East Cobb would be a 100,000 to 120,000 area depending on how close to Cherokee County and Marietta the city limits are drawn, which would put it on the same league as Roswell and Sandy Springs.

East Cobb doesn't need to incorporate though. But they should be given East Cobb, GA addresses instead of Marietta and be considered a CDP for Census statistical purposes. That's completely up to the US Census Bureau though, so someone needs to convince them. Dunwoody has been a CDP all this time with their own address.

BTW, East Cobb already has a post office. Three in fact, and one is actually called the East Cobb Post Office and is located on East Cobb Drive, right across from the East Cobb Shopping Center and the Avenue East Cobb. And I'm pretty sure there are like 10 businesses nearby with the words East Cobb in them. And across from the Mount Bethel Post Office is the East Cobb Government Center. But looking at how unwilling the US Post Office was with Johns Creek (USPS controls all addressing) they are definitely not going to waste time changing anything in an unincorporated area.

Personally, I think the whole metro should be within Atlanta city limits, which would be spread across a couple of counties. Central Fulton and Dekalb would be the central county, the northern suburbs would be another, the western suburbs another, the eastern suburbs another, and the southern suburbs another, and beyond that they can keep it the way it is. And the city itself could just be split into districts that correspond with the current locations (Downtown, Midtown, Buckhead, Perimeter, Alpharetta, Marietta, Cumberland, etc.).

Obviously, that's not going to happen, but that's what a normal metro is like...

I know your point about several small 10,000 person towns. Ideally, I think East Cobb should be three cities...well, four. I'm thinking Dunwoody, Johns Creek, Milton, Alpharetta sized cities.

*1. East Marietta: basically covering the Walton and Wheeler districts. Possibly including some of the Pope district. The town center would be at Johnson Ferry+Roswell Roads.

2. Shallowford Heights: covering most (or all) of the Lassiter and Pope districts. The town center would be at Shallowford+Johnson Ferry.

3. Noonday Creek: Covering the Kell district and a lot of the Sprayberry district. The town center would be somewhere along Canton Road.

**4. The Village of Sandy Plains (or just Sandy Plains): The town center would be at Sandy Plains and Piedmont (the Sprayberry Crossing area). This city would include the areas along East Piedmont Road, west Post Oak Tritt, most of Ebnezer Road, southern Trickum, Piedmont Road west to the tracks, and then areas south to the Marietta City Limits.


*It might be better if "East Marietta" was divided into East Marietta and Mount Bethel (or Woodlawn?). East Marietta would then encompass the Wheeler district, a fourth of the Pope district, and some of Walton (town center in East Lake area). Mount Bethel (or Woodlawn) would take in the Walton district and maybe small parts of the Pope District. Town center at Lower Roswell and Johnson Ferry.


**Sandy Plains possibly be merged into Shallowford Heights, East Marietta, or Noonday Creek.


***Another possibility...The Village of Chattahoochee Plantation (or just Chattahoochee Plantation)...roughly encompassing its old city limits.

[GF72]

Well East Marietta I think is a terrible name for anything that includes the Roswell Road / Johnson Ferry intersection because that is the heart of East Cobb, the phrase East Cobb is all over the area. Anyplace that includes that intersection should be called East Cobb or Mount Bethel. Likewise, the area north of that would be called Shallowford Falls or Heights.

Personally, this is how I would have Cobb County set up (all incorporated):

Marietta city limits would be expanded, including much of the Wheeler district and some of West Cobb, as well as more of the northern area. Basically the whole center of Cobb County. Marietty City schools should be merged with Cobb school system.

The whole Cumberland area should be a city called Cumberland. Vinings could be included, or the tiny historic part of Vinings could be left as the only unincorporated part of Cobb, since there are no townships in GA. Any commercial part of Cumberland that is currently in Smyrna or Marietta would be in the new Cumberland.

Smyrna, Power Springs, Mableton (which would become a city) would be expanded and fill up all of South Cobb.

West Cobb would be the whole western suburban area. Acworth would take up the whole NW corner, and Kennesaw would be expanded as well.

Sandy Plains would be east of Kennesaw and basically be Sprayberry and Kell districts (I think this whole area should be one city).

Which leaves the Walton/Pope/Lassiter area. Either this whole area could be East Cobb and be 100,000 population Roswell/Sandy Spring type area, or you could split it into the northern Shallowford area (Lassiter, half of Pope) and the southern East Cobb area (walton/half of pope).

Under this system all of Cobb County would be split up into 50,000 to 100,000 population cities.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by GF72

I think a feasible situation would be Buckhead staying within Atlanta city limits but being part of Milton County if that county does form. After all, there are already parts of Atlanta in Dekalb, if Buckhead was grouped in the same county as Sandy Springs and the rest of North Fulton they'd "be with their own kind" but at the same time it would still be the city of Atlanta.

Buckhead leaving Atlanta I think would be disastrous.

Agreed.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by GF72

Plus it would make Atlanta look even more pathetic in the encyclopedias than it does now. It would seem like a 300,000 population, poor city, with 1/3 its skyline gone.

Like totally.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Cityhood or not, Tucker has up till recently been one of the metro's best kept secrets. Great location, safe, pretty neighborhoods at surprisingly good prices. I hope the plans for downtown revitalization move forward in a timely manner.

I couldn't agree more. "Best kept secret" indeed! Don't forget great/good/decent schools too.

If Tucker was to get a commuter rail and/or Marta station at its center as well...unbeatable!

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by GF72

East Cobb should not be all those seperate towns... they can be designated as districs with street sign toppers, but an incorporated city needs to be able to support itself financially and provide police and fire services. You can't do that with 10 different 10,000 population areas. Plus East Cobb is the popularly accepted term for the whole area, it's all over the signage and people's speech. East Cobb would be a 100,000 to 120,000 area depending on how close to Cherokee County and Marietta the city limits are drawn, which would put it on the same league as Roswell and Sandy Springs.

East Cobb doesn't need to incorporate though. But they should be given East Cobb, GA addresses instead of Marietta and be considered a CDP for Census statistical purposes. That's completely up to the US Census Bureau though, so someone needs to convince them. Dunwoody has been a CDP all this time with their own address.

BTW, East Cobb already has a post office. Three in fact, and one is actually called the East Cobb Post Office and is located on East Cobb Drive, right across from the East Cobb Shopping Center and the Avenue East Cobb. And I'm pretty sure there are like 10 businesses nearby with the words East Cobb in them. And across from the Mount Bethel Post Office is the East Cobb Government Center. But looking at how unwilling the US Post Office was with Johns Creek (USPS controls all addressing) they are definitely not going to waste time changing anything in an unincorporated area.

Personally, I think the whole metro should be within Atlanta city limits, which would be spread across a couple of counties. Central Fulton and Dekalb would be the central county, the northern suburbs would be another, the western suburbs another, the eastern suburbs another, and the southern suburbs another, and beyond that they can keep it the way it is. And the city itself could just be split into districts that correspond with the current locations (Downtown, Midtown, Buckhead, Perimeter, Alpharetta, Marietta, Cumberland, etc.).

Obviously, that's not going to happen, but that's what a normal metro is like...

Totally agree. Good idea.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by aries4118

If Tucker was to get a commuter rail and/or Marta station at its center as well...unbeatable!

If the Brain Train commuter rail ever get's built, a Tucker station (and a Northlake station) are part of the plan. I agree that would be an enormously positive thing. Unfortunately, some in the Tucker cityhood movement have told me they would fight against a commuter rail station in Tucker. That's part of the reason why I see negatives in the cityhood thing in this particular case. I strongly disagree with and don't trust those who seem to be jockeying for leadership positions.