Alpharetta Incorporated and not-incorporated (difference) (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: crime, houses, taxes)

[betterlifeplease]

I see that Alpharetta has a city proper/incorporated and an unincorporated area. What is the difference? Is there a noticeable difference in the two, like in crime or cleanliness, etc.? Thank you in advance.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by betterlifeplease

I see that Alpharetta has a city proper/incorporated and an unincorporated area. What is the difference? Is there a noticeable difference in the two, like in crime or cleanliness, etc.? Thank you in advance.

Well, there are no longer any unincorporated parts in that area. All of North Fulton County is in the city limits of Roswell, Alpharetta, Mountain Park, Johns Creek, Milton, and Sandy Springs.

But, to answer your question...there was no real difference between incorporated or unincorporated Alpharetta...except that incorporated Alpharetta received better services.

[betterlifeplease]

THank you. What about the area that is technically called Alpharetta, but is in Forsyth County? We found some houses there we like, but don't know the difference in public services or crime, etc. Your thoughts are welcomed. Many thanks!!

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by betterlifeplease

THank you. What about the area that is technically called Alpharetta, but is in Forsyth County? We found some houses there we like, but don't know the difference in public services or crime, etc. Your thoughts are welcomed. Many thanks!!

Well, you kind of got me...many parts of extreme South Forsyth County are officially unincorporated Alpharetta...

The area is nice (all of South Forsyth is). Crime is very low. The public services will be through the county...Forsyth County.

[K'ledgeBldr]

Originally Posted by aries4118

Well, you kind of got me...many parts of extreme South Forsyth County are officially unincorporated Alpharetta.

What?
Forsyth County is Forsyth County.
Some areas of south Forsyth have Alpharetta as a mailing address.
That's all- Nothing More.

[billl]

Originally Posted by betterlifeplease

I see that Alpharetta has a city proper/incorporated and an unincorporated area. What is the difference? Is there a noticeable difference in the two, like in crime or cleanliness, etc.?

Unincorporated means the property is not within any city and does not receive the services of any city. Taxes are typically lower, but so are services. There used to be a very large area of north fulton county that was unincorporated, although it had (and still has) a mailing address of Alpharetta or Duluth. Most of that area is now the city of Johns Creek. I think all the remaining pockets of unincorporated areas around Alpharetta have been brought in to a city (either Alpharetta or Johns Creek). But there are still chunks of south forsyth county that are unincorporated. They have an Alpharetta mailing address but that's it. All water, sewer, fire and police are provided by Forsyth County, not by any individual city. And you are not eligible for discounted rates or priority enrollment at Alpharetta park district functions (such as sports).

I live in what used to be unincorprated north Fulton. In general I preferred living in an area that was unincorporated. Fewer restrictions and rules. But it had a downside too. Zoning decisions were made by the county at their meetings in downtown Atlanta. When developers decided to start ripping things up the commissioners pretty much rubber stamped anything they put in front of them. And the commissioners were exceedingly negligent in allocating funds for maintaining or improving roads, and for the new library. I suspect Forsyth County politics aren't nearly as bad.

[RainyRainyDay]

Originally Posted by K'ledgeBldr

What?
Forsyth County is Forsyth County.
Some areas of south Forsyth have Alpharetta as a mailing address.
That's all- Nothing More.

K'ledgeBldr is correct, although the impact in daily life is annoyingly larger. This phenomenon is not restricted to Alpharetta (Fulton) + Forsyth County. I reside in unincorporated Cobb County with a Roswell (Fulton) mailing address.

The problem is, in a nutshell, that every time somebody asks your address, they assume you live in the city and county named by your address. Although the problematic address comes from USPS, it's not like the property has any other legal address.

Most people don't know that it's even possible to have a Roswell or Alpharetta street address that is not in Fulton County. They have a tendency to react like you're trying to pull the wool over their eyes in some way. "Don't try to pretend to be a Cobb county resident if you live in Roswell" kind of thing. I don't know how many times I've explained this to people ... it's just tiresome.

Of course, because this is a confusing phenomenon, some of the neighbors don't understand it either. We like to swim at Roswell Area Park pool in summer, and we dutifully pay the "non-resident" rate because we aren't Roswell taxpayers. But I was talking with a neighbor who always pays the "resident" rate at the pool and indignantly disagreed with me, saying that "of course we live in Roswell".

I wish USPS wouldn't do this.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by RainyRainyDay

K'ledgeBldr is correct, although the impact in daily life is annoyingly larger. This phenomenon is not restricted to Alpharetta (Fulton) + Forsyth County. I reside in unincorporated Cobb County with a Roswell (Fulton) mailing address.

[...snippage for brevity...]

I wish USPS wouldn't do this.

Ya just gotta come up with a name for your unincorporated area and get your own post office and ZIP.

I know it isn't easy to do, but that's what we have in Mableton (30126). Historic Mableton was actually incorporated for a few years (1912-1916), but that town went under when a flood hit and was never formally reorganized. But the name has stuck down here in the southern part of Cobb County.

I think the Vinings and Cumberland (both 30339) areas, which are also both unincorporated, use an Atlanta address even though they're both in Cobb, which is the same weirdness you're talking about above.

[Saintmarks]

Most of these zip codes and mailing addresses date back from when the areas were totally rural. The USPS should have shifted lines as the areas became suburbanized. I believe there are areas in Cobb that are actually in the Acworth city limits but have Kennesaw mailing addresses (or vice versa or maybe both). Acworth mailing addresses can be in Cobb, Paulding, Bartow or Cherokee Counties but the city itself is only in Cobb.

I am almost totally sure that the only incorporated part of Forsyth County would be the county seat of Cumming and it has annexed very little of Forsyth County over the years. Only Mountain Park (of the north Fulton cities) has city limits that cross outside of Fulton County and that is just a tiny sliver into Cherokee, so none of the north Fulton cities extend into Forsyth.

I know this is an odd thing for folks to understand, but as is stated above, the USPS mailing addresses have nothing to do with local government in many, many cases all over metro Atlanta.

[betterlifeplease]

We are looking at an area that is in Forsyth County, but mailing address is Alpharetta. Does anyone have any knowledge about that? I am concerned, but not overly...however, should I/we be?? Does Forsyth County have good services?
Thank you in advance for your help.