Town Hall Meeting re: Cityhood and Annexations – Dec 8 @ 7:00 pm

URGENT MEETING

Three Neighborhoods – LaVista Park, Merry Hills, and North Druid Hills

Potential Annexation to Atlanta or Brookhaven Or Inclusion with Proposed New City of LaVista Hills

Monday, Dec. 8, 7:00 to 8:30 PM

Young Israel of Toco Hills, 2056 LaVista Road

The landscape keeps changing!  Now Brookhaven, which is almost certain to annex Executive Park and CHoA along North Druid Hills, has indicated interest in LaVista Park and perhaps Merry Hills and North Druid Hills.  Additi0onally, the Druid Hills Civic Association has expressed support for a referendum on annexation into Atlanta.    We have less than two weeks to learn about our options, conduct a second survey, and report our preferences to the State panel that has been tasked with drawing the boundaries for any city or annexation before the end of  December.

The situation has been changing rapidly so we are calling a vital meeting of the wider community on Monday, December 8 at 7 PM at Young Israel, 2056 LaVista Road (at Houston Mill).  We will hear from our elected officials and representatives of the various potential options.  Here are the possible options, although some may be more realistic than others:

• Brookhaven:  Brookhaven is about to complete the annexation of Executive Park , CHOA and the remaining commercial between I-85 and Briarcliff Road.  They have indicated an interest in annexing LaVista Park and perhaps North Druid Hills.  The school system would remain DeKalb County, but there could be some redistricting. Here is a link: http://brookhavenga.gov/newsroom/hot-topics/annexation-maps

• Atlanta Annexation:  Emory, Druid Hills and Woodland Hills have asked to be annexed into Atlanta.  Together in Atlanta has submitted a map that includes the Druid Hills HS, as well as BriarVista and Fernbank elementary schools and the populations these elementary schools serve.  That includes the part of our neighborhood between NDH along Briarcliff and along Nob Hill.  If successful, these schools would become part of the Atlanta Public School system.  They have indicated an interest in including NDHRA If that is what the residents want.  Here is a link to the Druid Hills/ Emory proposed referendum: http://www.brookhavenpost.co/druid-hills-association-endorses-annexation-battle-for-territory-and-more-neighborhoods-may-follow/24757/

• LaVista Hills:  The former Lakeside and City of Briarcliff city movements have come together to form LaVista Hills.  LaVista Park is drawn into its map.   However, given the annexation of the commercial areas on NDH Road at I-85, they have asked us to decide if we want to remain in the boundaries of the new city or get annexed into a different city. Here is a link to their proposed map: http://www.decaturish.com/2014/11/new-city-briarcliff-lakeside-lavista-hills/

• Unincorporated DeKalb:  If we wish to remain unincorporated DeKalb County, we can ask our Representative Mary Margaret Oliver to carve us out of all the cities and annexations.  However, there is a law against creating islands, such that we cannot remain unincorporated DeKalb if the areas around us join municipalities.  Any unincorporated areas must be contiguous to a substantial unincorporated area, so the county can service it efficiently with police and fire services.

This could be your last chance to get the answers to your cityhood / annexation questions.  LaVista Park is currently in both the LaVista Hills map and the Atlanta annexati0n map.  We will not remain in both.  Please consider attending the meeting and expressing your preferences.

Thanks,

Steve Richards

President, LVPCA