And the Saga Continues . . .

The Brookhaven Post has been diligent in its pursuit of the truth behind the Executive Park and CHOA request to be annexed into Brookhaven. On October 17, Tom Doolittle, a contributor to the Brookhaven Post, published an account of the DeKalb Delegation public hearing, held on October 13th in the Brookhaven City Hall. The article includes several videos of the meeting, the viewing of which is its own reward. His article can be found HERE.

The Post provided a follow up article today, found HERE, which includes maps provided by the property owners of the proposed annexation, as well as a composite map assembled by The Post. 

Smaller versions of those maps are reproduced here. (After the break.)

Brookhaven Meddling . . . Again?

Brookhaven Considers Annexation South of I-85 to Include Executive Park & Children's Hospital of Atlanta

The City of Brookhaven is considering applications from Executive Park and the nearby Children's Hospital of Atlanta for annexation into the City.  As those properties under consideration are exclusively commercial, they can be annexed by Brookhaven using either the 100% method or the 60% method, both procedures allowing annexation solely by a vote of the Brookhaven City Council. The state legislature is not involved, and a referendum by residents (there are none) would NOT be required.

The annexations, if they proceed, will have a potentially serious impact on the proposed City of Lakeside/Briarcliff. I say potentially due to the fact that this area was NOT included in the proposed City of Lakeside until the very last map, engineered by Rep. Mike Jacobs (R), Brookhaven, which would be version 7 for Lakeside.  It was NOT included in the feasibility study for Lakeside. This area has always been included in the proposed City of Briarcliff proposed boundaries and feasibility study.

This is an interesting twist for Brookhaven for three reasons. First, when Dunwoody first formed, they had initially sought to include major commercial properties south of I-285, but backed off when complaints were noted that they would be depriving any future city south of I-285 from potential revenue. Dunwoody deferred to the then non-existent possiblity of a City of Brookhaven, at that point merely a twinkle in the eye of Rep. Jacobs. Second, Brookhaven found itself in a serious kerfluffle when it tried the same play with Century Century, after Chamblee had already been allowed to pursue annexation of the area by the state legislature. Brookhaven eventually backed away from that battle. And third, when the City of Lakeside's first map was issued, both Brookhaven and Chamblee pundits objected to Lakeside jumping I-85 to include revenue-rich commercial properties. Lakeside immediately deferred to those concerns.

Kevin Levitas: 'F*** Y**, Briarcliff!'

Kevin Levitas
Former LCA co-chair

Kevin Levitas is STILL upset, and STILL refuses to take responsibility for LCA's failure.

In the comment section of a COBI Facebook article, Kevin Levitas, former co-chair of the Lakeside City Alliance (and former state representative and former Democrat) makes no bones about his feelings regarding the City of Briarcliff Initiative's role in the recent cityhood hearings in the House of Representatives. In his comment, Mr. Levitas belittles COBI's efforts over the past year, and insults every DeKalb citizen who supported COBI's proposal.  We can only shake our head at this shameful fingerpointing and blame game that the LCA has presented to its adoring public.

Mr. Levitas's comment, and a response from COBI board member Keith Hanks, after the break. In this reposting, I have edited the comments into a cleaner outline version, for readibility's sake. These comments can be a challenge to find in the Facebook system.

A Snake In the Meadows

Kevin Levitas accuses Rep. John Meadows of being a SNAKE! Ooooooo, burn!

In a clever play on words, Kevin Levitas, former co-chair of the Lakeside City Alliance, takes on Rep. John Meadows, R - Calhoun, the powerful Chair of the House Rules Committee. Former representative (and former Democrat) Levitas is personally, and singularly, blaming Rep. Meadows for the 'failure' of the LCA's proposal for the new City of Lakeside to pass the General Assembly in the 2013-14 legislative session.

Rep. Meadows' power in the legislature comes from his position as Chair of the Rules Committee, where he can personally guarantee the success or failure of any bill that comes out of any House committee.  Seems to me its not all that wise to piss off one of the two or three men in the state government who can personally kill your pet project. I guess that's why Mr. Levitas is now being billed as the FORMER chair of the LCA. Oh well, business as usual for the LCA.

Read for yourself, in the article as posted to zpolitics. Click HERE for the original article.

His article, after the break.

A Tale of Three Cities

A Tale of Three Cities

As a gesture of love and reconciliation, I've assembled three maps in an effort to bring together the three competing city hood efforts.  Currently, we have groups representing Lakeside, Lavista Hills (or Briarcliff) and Tucker.  Each have developed maps that overlap the others.  As we move through this process we will have to learn, at some point, to compromise.  Let this be the start of that conversation.

A pdf version of the maps can be found here.

One potato, . . .

The City of Lavista brings everyone together, into one, big, happy family.  This city takes its name directly from Lavista Road, which spans this proposed city from one end to the other.  This City would have approximately 135,000 residents.

Schools in the City of Tucker

Schools in the City of Tucker

The City of Tucker public schools are all part of the DeKalb County School District (DCSD).  There is one high school within the City, Tucker High School, while the proposed city boundaries also include areas assigned to both Lakeside and Stone Mountain High Schools.

Tucker High School's feeder schools includes Tucker Middle School and Livsey, Midvale, Smoke Rise Charter, Brockett and Idlewood Elementary Schools.

Lakeside High School's feeder schools with students living inside the City include Henderson Middle School, and Pleasantdale, Evansdale, Henderson Mill and Briarlake Elementary Schools.

Stone Mountain High School's feeder schools include Stone Mountain Middle School and Stone Mill Elementary School, although there will be no students actually living within the City, as the included areas are 100% commercial.

A common question regarding forming a new City is whether or not this would also allow the City to form an independent school district, wholly separate from DCSD.  The answer is a definite NO, as the Georgia State Constitution specifically disallows the creation of new school districts within the state.  A constitutional amendment will be required to allow the creation of a new independent school system.  Some state legislators have begun the process of enacting a bill to allow a statewide vote on such a constitutional amendment which, if it ever happens, will be several years in the making.