Q & A on the News

Q: Can you tell me what is going into the parking lot at the Civic Center?

—Bill Worth, Atlanta

A: Plans haven’t been finalized for the property, including the parking lot, a spokeswoman for the Atlanta Housing Authority told Q&A on the News. The AHA closed in November on its purchase of the property from the city of Atlanta and plans to create a $300 million-plus, mixeduse, mixed-income development, the AJC has reported.

The AHA plans to hold a series of design charrettes in 2018 and to finalize plans the first half of the year, the spokeswoman told Q&A on the News.

Q: A past AJC article stated that approximately 2,500 registered voters of the newly annexed Emory area would be allowed to vote for Atlanta leaders. I am not aware of any referendum that these citizens were given a vote in this annexation from DeKalb County to the city of Atlanta. How is this annexation legal without their vote?

—J.A. Jernigan, Atlanta

A: Annexations can be completed without a referendum of voters when all property owners in the area to be annexed petition for it, according to Georgia law.

That’s what happened in this case, when the annexation was sought by the area’s property owners — Emory University, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia Power, Villa International and Synod of South Atlantic & Presbyterian Church.

The annexation was completed by a 13-0 vote of the Atlanta City Council on Dec. 4, and it takes effect Jan. 1.

Fast Copy News Service wrote this column; AJC staff writer Mark Niesse contributed. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404222-2002 or email q&a@ajc. com (include name, phone and city).