Two DeKalb County neighborhoods are petitioning to be annexed into Brookhaven, a city of 58,000 in North DeKalb that has steadily grown since its 2012 inception.
A concerted effort began in 2022 with grassroots canvassing at shops and intersections in Toco Hills, then a door-to-door campaign for signatures.
A petition for the annexation of Merry Hills and Biltmore Acres was filed on May 30, showing 64% of the area’s 1,390 active voters and 62% of landowners are in favor of the move.
If approved, the annexation would be the largest annexation by the 60% method in Georgia’s history.
The state of Georgia requires a written petition signed by at least 60% of the owners of the land area (by acreage) and at least 60% of the resident electors in the area proposed for annexation.
Bounded by North Druid Hills Road, Houston Mill Road and Lavista Road, the 462-acred area is mainly residential with some mixed-use, office, and commercial properties, including the busy Toco Hill Shopping Center.
The neighborhoods are part of the area known as North Druid Hills, but most residents colloquially call the neighborhoods around the shopping center Toco Hills.
The application for annexation is being reviewed by DeKalb County commissioners, and Brookhaven is planning to vote on the matter on July 25.
DeKalb County commissioners will hold a public meeting on June 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Central DeKalb Senior Center, 1346 McConnell Drive, Decatur, GA 30033. Brookhaven City Council will hold two public meetings on June 28 at 6:30 p.m. and July 25 at 7 p.m. at Brookhaven City Hall, 4362 Peachtree Road.
Brookhaven City Council typically meets on Tuesdays, but the next meeting is Wednesday, June 28, due to a conference with the Georgia Municipal Association.
The annexation could have considerable implications for the community, DeKalb Commissioner Michelle Long Spears wrote in a recent newsletter. She encouraged participation at public meetings.
If it passes, Brookhaven will establish a special tax district to fund improvements in services like sidewalks and stormwater to the annexed areas. Brookhaven’s most recent annexation was Lavista Park in December 2019.
In related news:
Brookhaven Planning Commission voted June 15 to recommend an amendment to a zoning ordinance. City staff is proposing ANX zoning classification to apply to newly annexed land. It’s a zoning code that prevents buying annexed property and immediately changing zoning.
“If someone buys a house and tears it down, we’re going to apply the standards in DeKalb County’s ordinance on setbacks or height limits – any rule DeKalb County currently has on that zoning classification. The new owner can’t change the zoning classification,” Linda Abaray, Brookhaven Director of Community Development, said.
The zoning code is a placeholder for annexed properties for up to two years to ensure the land uses are studied and folded into the city properly, Abaray said. ANX zoning would apply to future annexations.
City Attorney Jeremy Berry said the ordinance is a comprehensive approach on how to annex property while being transparent with the public, the county and potential annexation applicants.
The amendment will come before City Council on June 28.
This story has been updated.
