Sandy Springs, Georgia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sandy Springs, Georgia | |
| Location in Fulton County in the state of Georgia | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Georgia |
| County | Fulton County |
| Mayor | Eva Galambos |
| Area | |
| - City | 101.0 km² |
| - Land | 97.7 km² |
| - Water | 3.2 km² |
| Population | |
| - City (2000) | 85,781 |
| - Density | 878.1/km² |
| Time zone | EST (UTC) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC) |
| Website: http://www.sandyspringsga.org | |
Sandy Springs (once known as Hammond) is a newly incorporated city (as of December 2005) in Fulton County, Georgia, north of Atlanta and south of Roswell. It is named for the sandy springs which still exist in the city today, which are protected as a historic site. With an estimated population of more than 85,000 (2006), Sandy Springs is Georgia's seventh-largest city. It is the second largest of three principal cities (by population) of and is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, Georgia-Alabama (part) Combined Statistical Area.
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[edit] History
In 1851, Wilson Spruill donated five acres (two hectares) of land for the founding of the Sandy Springs United Methodist Church near the sandy spring for which the city is named. Later, in 1905 the Hammond School was built at Johnson Ferry Road and Mt. Vernon Highway, across the street from the church.
After World War II, Sandy Springs experienced a housing boom, bringing new residents and major land development. In the 1960s and 1970s Georgia 400 and Interstate 285 connected Sandy Springs to metro Atlanta.
[edit] Debate over incorporation
Debate over incorporation began in the 1970s when the city of Atlanta attempted to use a state law to force annexation of Sandy Springs. (Buckhead had joined in 1952.) The attempt failed when the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that the law was unconstitutional. In response, the Committee for Sandy Springs was formed in 1975. In every legislative session since 1989, state legislators representing the area introduced a Bill in the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) to authorize a referendum on incorporation. Legislators representing the city of Atlanta and southwestern Fulton County, who feared for the tax revenue that would be lost, blocked the bills using the procedural requirement that all local legislation be approved first by a delegation of representatives from the affected area.
[edit] Referendum
When the Republican Party gained a majority in both houses of the General Assembly in early 2005, the Democratic Party rules were thrown out. The referendum initiative was approved by the Assembly and signed by the Governor Sonny Purdue. The Assembly also temporarily repealed the 1995 law that all Georgia cities must provide at least three municipal services on their own or have their cityhood revoked, because the new city will need time to start up and will be contracting most of its services from the county through the end of 2006. The assembly also repealed the requirement that new cities must be at least three miles (4.8km) from existing cities, because the new city limit borders both Roswell and Atlanta.
The referendum was held on June 21, 2005, and residents voted overwhelmingly (94%) for incorporation. Many locals expressed displeasure with county services, claiming that the county was distributing services to poorer areas, ignoring local opposition to rezoning, and allowing excessive development. Many residents of unincorporated and less-developed south Fulton County strongly opposed incorporation, fearing the loss of tax revenues which run county services. County residents outside Sandy Springs were not allowed to vote on the matter. Efforts such as requesting the U.S. Justice Department to reject the plan were unsuccessful.
[edit] Interim government
As provided for by law, Governor Sonny Perdue named five citizens to an interim government committee for the city, called the Governor's Commission On Sandy Springs. In five years (2010), the charter drawn up by the legislature will have to be reviewed for any proposed or necessary changes.
[edit] Elections and formal incorporation
A mayor and six city council members were elected in early November 2005, and formal incorporation occurred on December 1, making it the third-largest city ever to incorporate in the U.S. (Centennial, Colorado, Miami Gardens, Florida, and Spokane Valley, Washington did the same in 2001, February 2003, and March 2003 respectively, making them first, second, and fourth). The six districts will be roughly northwest (along the river), northeast (north of Dunwoody), southwest, southeast, east (along Georgia 400), and central.
The legislation and which allowed the referendum on incorporation also created three separate tax districts in unincorporated Fulton County. This will block any tax money from one district from being spent in the other, effectively cutting off lower-income south Fulton County from its upper-income north. This is threatening to severely limit emergency services and other critical needs in southwest Fulton.
[edit] Timeline
- In 1950, the state's legislature blocked Atlanta from annexing the area.
- In 1952, the Buckhead area north of Atlanta and south of Sandy Springs is annexed.
- In 1959, mayor of Atlanta William Hartsfield urged residents to support annexation after a fire at Hammond Elementary School, so that it would have better firefighting protection.
- In 1966, annexation was defeated by two-thirds in a referendum.
- In 1975 and 1976, the Committee For Sandy Springs was created and efforts in the legislature began.
- In 1989, a new push was made, this time to join neighboring Chattahoochee Plantation in Cobb County. It was blocked by Tom Murphy, who was the powerful speaker of the house at the time.
- In 2005, Sandy Springs residents vote 94% for incorporation in a July referendum.
- In 2005, Sandy Springs residents elected the city's first mayor and city council in November. Eva Galambos (who had initiated and led the charge for incorporation) won the mayor's office with a landslide vote.
- All city officials took office when the city was incorporated on December 1.
- In 2006, the city's police force begins service on July 1.
[edit] Population history
- 1980: 46,877
- 1990: 67,842
- 2000: 85,781
[edit] Geography
The boundaries of Sandy Springs are: Atlanta to the south, Cobb County (at the Chattahoochee River) to the west and north, Roswell (also at the river) to the north, and unincorporated Dunwoody (at the DeKalb County line) to the east. A small panhandle in the northeast extends between the Chattahoochee River to the north and Dunwoody to the south, ending in a very small border with Gwinnett County.
In the 1880s, this panhandle was part of DeKalb, but was later ceded to the former Milton County. Some residents of this area consider themselves to be part of the Dunwoody community, and were promised by the leaders of the incorporation movement that they would be allowed to keep their identity. A few months later however, this changed, when the new city took down street sign "toppers" which proclaimed the community's Dunwoody identity. The city later offered new ones, but only with the Sandy Springs name.
Panhandle residents were not allowed to vote separately on whether to join Sandy Springs in 2005. Legislation to incorporate the city of Dunwoody is expected in 2007, but there have been no statements regarding whether those in the Dunwoody-in-Sandy-Springs area would have their right of self-determination honored, after now-mayor Eva Galambos invoked the same principle in the creation of Sandy Springs.
If Milton County were to be created again, as some have been advocating recently, the city has not yet taken any position on whether it would join or even support such a move. A referendum could potentially treat the city as a separate "either/or" area, the way the Newtown area further north had the choice of joining existing Roswell or new Johns Creek (in a referendum inspired by Sandy Springs' successful bid for cityhood). If Sandy Springs were to vote to join the new county, it would make worse the problems the rest of Fulton has experienced due to the city's (and potentially county's) urban secession (though parts of south Fulton are deciding on their own defensive municipalizations in response).
[edit] Transportation
Because of the rapid growth Sandy Springs has experienced in recent years and an absence of local government, traffic is a major challenge. City planning and efforts to improve traffic flow are high priority issues to the community.
[edit] Roads
Sandy Springs is served by two major limited-access highways, Georgia 400 (which runs north/south) and I-285 (which runs east/west). The major surface streets are Roswell Road (U.S. 19/Ga. 9), Johnson Ferry Road, Abernathy Road, Glenridge Drive, and Dunwoody Club Drive.
The GDOT is currently planning to widen Abernathy between Johnson Ferry and Roswell Roads from two lanes to four plus a road median, which will destroy several homes and their lush landscaping along the residential road. The western intersection will be reconfigured so that traffic to and from Johnson Ferry Road (which now carries heavy loads of Cobb County commuters across the Chattahoochee River at rush hour) will flow directly with Abernathy. It will be given a temporary state highway number which will not be put on signs.
[edit] Mass transportation
The major provider of mass transit is MARTA, which operates a heavy rail rapid transit line and several bus lines through Sandy Springs. Sandy Springs is served by the Medical Center, Sandy Springs and North Springs stations. The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority also operates express buses from the North Springs station to other counties.
[edit] Government
[edit] Officials
- Mayor: Eva Galambos
- District 1: Dave Greenspan
- District 2: Dianne Fries
- District 3: Rusty Paul
- District 4: Ashley Jenkins
- District 5: Tiberio "Tibby" DeJulio
- District 6: Karen Meinzen McEnerny
[edit] Services
The new city is an experiment in privatization. Most services are being handled by consulting firm CH2M Hill-OMI, while some are temporarily being continued by the county. The new police department took over services from the county on July 1.
The city promptly began harsh enforcement of some new codes, as well as several older ones inherited from the county. The city has been criticized for some of this, including speed traps impeding traffic, and an old and little-enforced county ordinance which makes it illegal to have more than 10% of a window covered with lettering or other signage. Even retail chains with the same signs across metro Atlanta have been forced to change them at great expense, while they are acceptable everywhere else.
Some services have been difficult to obtain with the incorporation of the city, with some residents saying the services previously provided by Fulton County were more responsive. [citation needed]
[edit] Disputes with the county
During the transition period, the city has had some disputes with the county. Most notable is a recent issue over the five parks now within the city. The county commission voted to sell them on the "open market", but later the Commissioner At Large (Rob Pitts) clarified that there was no intent to sell for land development. As of July 2006, there is still harsh debate over whether to sell them for $5000 each, $1 per acre, or at market value, or to lease them for 50 years for one dollar each annually. Under state law, the county cannot legally give the parks away, nor can any parks be used for development.
The facilities include:
- Sandy Springs Historic Site and Park
- Great Park at Morgan Falls
- Hammond Park
- Ridgeview Park
- Allen Park
[edit] Economy
The largest business districts are the Roswell Road corridor and Perimeter Center (although the Perimeter Mall itself resides in adjacent DeKalb County). Perimeter Center includes many high-rise buildings (including the tallest suburban buildings in the U.S., the 570-foot Concourse Towers). Just south of this business district, across I-285, is a major medical center, anchored by Northside Hospital, Georgia Reproductive Services, and Saint Joseph's Hospital.
Sandy Springs is one of metro Atlanta's most affluent residential communities. The city, and the area surrounding the city, is experiencing rapid residential development. Particularly, the trend of luxury high-rise condominium development has expanded past Atlanta's Midtown, Buckhead and Olympic Park neighborhoods and is now in Sandy Springs. Developments include Park Towers and the Manhattan. [1] [2] The Manhattan is in neighboring DeKalb County.
[edit] Schools
Public schools continue to be operated by the Fulton County School System, which groups schools into clusters.
North Springs cluster:
- North Springs High School
- Sandy Springs Middle School
- Woodland Charter Elementary School
- Dunwoody Springs Charter Elementary School
- Spalding Drive Charter Elementary School
Riverwood cluster:
- Riverwood High School
- High Point Elementary School
- Ridgeview Middle School
- Heards Ferry Elementary School
[edit] Demographics
(Note: the 2000 census numbers are for Sandy Springs prior to incorporation, but cover the same area.)
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 85,781 people, 39,288 households, and 19,683 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 878.1/km² (2,274.1/mi²). There were 42,794 housing units at an average density of 438.0/km² (1,134.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 77.55% White, 12.04% African American, 0.18% Native American, 3.29% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.94% from other races, and 1.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.93% of the population. According to a 2006 report by the Atlanta Jewish Federation, 15,300 Jews reside in Sandy Springs[3], representing 17.8% of the population.
There were 39,288 households out of which 21.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.9% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 17.8% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 40.3% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $60,428, and the median income for a family was $85,146. Males had a median income of $51,002 versus $36,493 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $45,494. About 3.9% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] External links
- City of Sandy Springs
- Sandy Springs community site
- Heritage Sandy Springs
- Leadership Sandy Springs
- Listen to Sandy Springs Police radio
- Listen to Radio Sandy Springs
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
Incorporated places: Atlanta (County seat) • Alpharetta • College Park • East Point • Fairburn • Hapeville • Johns Creek • Milton • Mountain Park • Palmetto • Roswell • Sandy Springs • Union City
Census-designated places: Campbellton • Red Oak • Rico • Birmingham • Shakerag • Crabapple • Sandtown • Chattahoochee Hill Country • South Fulton
