Is Smoke Rise Annexation by Stone Mountain a Good Idea?

By Pam Gillen Heisler

Sunday's meeting to discuss the potential annexation of Smoke Rise into the City of Stone Mountain drew about 60 people.

The initial request for a feasibility study, now being undertaken by Stone Mountain City Manager Gary Peet, came from some members of the Stone Mountain Community Improvement District (CID).

The city agreed to proceed and the Stone Mountain Administrative Task Force (SMATF) on city sustainability was founded. The meeting was hosted by the SMATF and led by Thom Deloach and Gary Peet of Stone Mountain Village. Emory Morsberger, President of the Stone Mountain CID was in attendance but made no comments.

The group agreed that until Mr. Peet completes his study, there was little data to make an informed decision and subsequent public meetings will be held when more information is available.

It is important to note the difference in approach and timelines in city incorporation (Tucker) and area annexation (Stone Mountain) as it applies to our area. Cityhood requires submitting a placeholder bill to the Georgia legislature prior to any upcoming session for vote by lawmakers statewide, whereas annexation is limited to a local referendum - usually a special election.

Different statutes cover these activities. If successful, the area governed by the city of Stone Mountain would increase from 1.6 square miles to 12 square miles and would grow from 6,000 to 17,000 residents. 

Also, the annexation process is a little more complicated in that it has to be submitted with justifiable numbers to the Georgia legislature by unanimous consent of the DeKalb delegation, and unlike cityhood it can be done during a current session and requires no debate on the floor.

What's your take on this plan? Tell us in the comments-