Lilburn annexation would double city’s size

Lilburn is looking to more than double its geographic size in an annexation proposal that would make it one of the largest municipalities in Gwinnett County.

City leaders, wanting to expand Lilburn’s tax base and clean up its boundaries, want to add about 8 square miles of mostly residential property, growing the city to 14.5 square miles. Lawrenceville, the county seat, is the largest city at 18 square miles.

The annexation also would double the city’s population of about 12,000 to 24,000, City Manager Bill Johnsa said.

“It’s time for Lilburn to grow,” Johnsa said. “A lot of these areas are gateways to our community.”

Legislation for the annexation will be introduced to state leaders in late February, and, if passed, become effective Dec. 1.

Under the proposal, Lilburn would incorporate land in every direction, but mostly to the south to Five Forks Trickum Road.

Based on an early proposal to the county, Lilburn would add $1.9 million a year in property tax revenue, with the inclusion of 4,800 residential and 188 commercial parcels. The city won’t see those revenues until 2010, Johnsa said.

City services — including police, planning and code enforcement — also would grow. Johnsa couldn’t offer specifics but noted “current residents’ services won’t be diminished in any way.”

Also, smoothing rough Lilburn boundary lines would “give us some consistent boundaries, so if you’re going down the road, you know properties on both sides are in the city,” said Doug Stacks, city director of planning and economic development.

The annexation proposal dovetails into the city’s plans to build a 30,000-square-foot City Hall, twice the size of the current municipal hub. Work on the structure, with a tentative cost of about $8 million, is expected to begin this year.

Lilburn’s last legislative annexation was in 1989.