Blue Ridge Industrial Park sits near the intersection of Buford Highway and North Berkeley Lake Road, mostly out of view from passing motorists.
From street level, the roughly 50-acre collection of warehouses, office buildings and parking lots is an afterthought. But maps tell a different story.
Three neighboring municipalities -- Berkeley Lake, Duluth and Norcross -- and the unincorporated area of Peachtree Corners are all frantically vying to annex various parts of the industrial park.
If the incorporated cities fail to make a convincing case and Peachtree Corners voters approve a proposed city charter in November, the park will be included within the boundaries of Gwinnett's newest city.
That gives officials in Berkeley Lake, Duluth and Norcross about four more months to make their pitch to business owners in the industrial park, who must agree to be annexed.
"Basically they’re going to be putting on their dog and pony shows," said Mike Menard, president of the industrial park's business association and regional operations manager for Nazdar Inks and Coatings. "This is nothing more than a land grab for tax revenue."
Indeed, officials in all of the cities covet another stream of tax revenue during a time of falling property values and an overall difficult economic climate. That's especially true for Berkeley Lake, which has very little commercial property and could have to spend as much as $3 million to repair its 85-foot-high dam.
To annex the industrial park, Berkeley Lake first would have to annex a smaller property along Peachtree Industrial Boulevard so the industrial park would be adjacent to the city.
"I definitely think it would be healthy for us to have more of a mix of residential and commercial" tax revenues, Berkeley Lake councilman Scott Lee said.
Duluth officials have estimated that annexing the industrial park would bring in about $87,000 more in tax revenues annually. It wasn't immediately clear what that figure might be for the other areas, which have millage rates ranging from 1.0 for Peachtree Corners to 6.424 for Norcross.
Peachtree Corners leaders have tried to sell the businesses on a limited government and low millage rate, which would be capped a 1.0 mills under the city charter and could only be changed by a referendum.They plan to make a more official presentation to the businesses in the coming weeks.
"We feel the case is more compelling to stay in Peachtree Corners," said Wayne Knox, vice president of land use for the United Peachtree Corners Civic Association.
"We've got a lot of experience being a full-service city," Norcross economic development manager Rusty Warner said.
Maps of the industrial park show the challenges and confusion involved in sorting out where boundaries start and stop. Duluth sits to the east and already owns part of the park, which includes about half of Blue Ridge Industrial Parkway and a large plot that once belonged to O'Neal Steel Inc. Norcross is located southwest of the park and Berkeley Lake is north but separated by Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.
Another map shows Peachtree Corners would swallow a large part of the surrounding area -- stretching around both Norcross and Berkeley Lake -- if local voters choose to incorporate.
"Can’t anyone draw a straight line around here? It’s pretty amazing," Menard said.
Even more confusing are the addresses: Many of the businesses are listed as being in Norcross, while others claim Duluth.
Barbara Howard, owner of Suzanna’s Kitchen, said she has heard from all of the cities but still hasn't made up her mind. Her preference, however, would be for things to stay the same.
"We provide for ourselves very well," Howard said. "We're fine right where we are and right how we are."
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