Potential annex maps in review
Rome also is seeking public-private partnerships to clean up city corridors
Members of Rome’s redevelopment committee analyzed map after map Thursday as they started the process of looking at communities where annexation could benefit both the city and the property owners.
In addition to the Celanese/ Riverside community, Horseleg Estates and Honeysuckle Ridge, members of the committee looked at a couple of areas off Burnett
Ferry Road, Mt. Alto Road and several sections of Garden Lakes.
City Commissioner Wendy Davis, who chairs the committee, said several of the maps have the look of someone with seriously crooked teeth.
The city is not interested in any wholesale forced annexation, Davis said. Rather, they are ready to sit down with property owners and begin some discussions. Part of that plan is informing property owners of the complete picture of the cost-tobenefit ratio of being within the city limits.
“Right now people are making assumptions that everything they pay for will be this much more,” Davis said. “I want to be able to give people real world examples.”
Property owners may not be seeing the full scope of city services, members said.
“When you look at people who are paying for private trash hauling and you look at their water and sewer rates and you look at street lights — ( in) a lot of cases you can actually save money,” said City Manager Sammy Rich.
Rich left the meeting early to meet with Floyd County Schools Superintendent Glenn White and county school board chairman Tony Daniel about the annexation issue.
Before the committee even got into the annexation discussion, North Rome resident Charles Love spoke to the group about economic development in his section of the city.
“We need some creative initiatives,” Love said. “Areas where there have been incentives provided, there has been business growth ... There has been neglect in certain parts of the community where it really needs it.”
However, the city manager said sometimes tax incentives alone aren’t enough to bring in business.
Rich pointed Love to the triangle of property inside Turner Mccall Boulevard, Martha Berry Boulevard and North Fifth Avenue. The area was included in the very first TAD approved by the city years ago, yet has not had a single project come forward seeking the financing incentive.
“There are no guarantees that having a TAD is going to get you a project,” Rich said.
Love complained that Ga. 53 coming into Rome through North Rome has nothing that is pleasing to the eye.
“You have to come through crap to get to a beautiful downtown,” he said.
The commissioners told Love that they are in the process of speaking with a group of interested investors about improving some of the corridors leading into Rome.
“Do something, don’t talk about it,” Love responded.
Commissioner Craig McDaniel said the board recognizes the fact that Rome has experienced little growth over the past 20 years.
“We’re ready to do things that haven’t been done in the past,” Mcdaniel said.