Three neighborhoods say no to Doraville annexation

Three DeKalb County neighborhoods will not become part of Doraville after all.

On Tuesday, residents in the Cherokee Hills, Oakcliff Estates and Sequoyah Woods subdivisions overwhelmingly rejected a referendum to join the city on Nov. 1.

Of the 347 people who voted, 79 percent opposed annexation — 274 votes, according to the DeKalb County elections office. Turnout was about 18 percent.

A referendum on the annexation on Nov. 4 failed by just 34 votes out of 1,138 cast but was marred by ballot problems, prompting the second vote.

City officials supported the annexation — which would have boosted Doraville’s population by about 65 percent to 17,000 residents — but did not actively campaign for the effort.

The failure could hamper other annexation efforts in DeKalb, most notably that of nearby Chamblee. That city has asked legislators for a referendum on the annexation of the Huntley Hills neighborhood, which now lies between Chamblee and Doraville.