Parent Introduces Annexation Bill

State Rep. Elena Parent (D-81) introduced Wednesday a House Hopper calling for a referendum to annex the Dresden East neighborhood with the City of Chamblee.

Unlike HB 636 introduced by State Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-80) which calls for a referendum to incorporate Brookhaven, Parent's bill - HB 1006 - was introduced as local legislation and will only be voted on by DeKalb County delegation.

The bill calls for annexation of the property that would include areas of Chamblee Tucker Road to I-85 S; the Clairmont Road corridor, and the southern portion of Airport Road, Parent said.

The bill also includes a disputed parcel of commercial property - Plaza Fiesta - which is included in the boundary map for the proposed city of Ashford.

The Plaza Fiesta property between Clairmont Road and Buford Highway has been under dispute for months as residents here have argued that Jacobs used the neighborhood's commercial property for the proposed new city, but excluded the residential community.

Residents were not only concerned that they had been excluded from the proposed city, but voiced concerns that if ever the neighborhood wanted to join with another city, it would be left devoid of commercial real estate to use as leverage for annexation. Jacobs had since responded by dropping the DeKalb Peachtree Airport and a portion of the neighborhood's commercial properties from the new city's boundary map, with the exception of the current disputed parcel of Plaza Fiesta.

Parent said last night that Jacobs agreed to drop the disputed parcel from HB 636 if the new annexation bill advances. Last week, Chamblee City Council voted on a resolution supporting the annexation.

If the bill passes, the Dresden East community will vote on the referendum in November 2012.