Decatur still waiting on passage of Legacy Park annexation bill
Decatur is still waiting on the passage of Senate Bill 89 that would annex the 77-acre Legacy Park into the city. As of March 28 it had passed the Senate but still needed nine signatures in the House. It would also subsequently need signing by Governor Brian Kemp though it won’t require a referendum.
The Legislature’s final day is next Tuesday.
The annexation would also include 15 homes on Derrydown Way, north of Legacy Park, former site of the United Methodist Children’s Home.
The bill was introduced into the legislature six weeks ago, and Mayor Patti Garrett said she isn’t sure what is holding things up.
“We are still very hopeful it will go through, Garrett said. “There is controversy [within the General Assembly] about [large scale] annexation. But ours is outside the whole conversation about that.”
In fact, two years ago the legislature approved Decatur’s creation of a Public Finance Authority to help purchase the property for $40 million. Within the past few months city commissioners have approved land use, zoning and a general master plan for the site.
If annexation isn’t approved this go-around it could cause a number of complications, including a long delay on specific planning for the site and the splitting up of service delivery between the city and DeKalb County.
Further, in June the Decatur Housing Authority begins temporarily housing 10 families in four duplexes and two single-family homes on the property. This process of moving families into and then off site is expected to last 30 months during the rehabilitation of Swanton Heights. Without annexation, it’s possible the children residing at Legacy couldn’t attend City Schools Decatur.
