Consultants advise targeted annexations; large swaths likely fiscal losers, KB Advisory Group says

KB Advisory Group presented an interim annexation-feasibility draft to the council and public, emphasizing that the study was not final and limited to areas inside Fayette County. Consultants said they analyzed the city’s budget lines, land use and revenue/cost data to estimate the fiscal impact of several large contiguous annexation swaths and found that purely residential areas generally create net costs unless land-use conversion to commercial/industrial development occurs.

Jeff Koski and Trevor Butler walked council through four major study areas: the SR‑54 commercial corridor (between Peachtree City and Fayetteville), Ebenezer Road to the east, southern parcels with some commercial potential and a largely residential northern area. The consultants identified the SR‑54 corridor as the most promising near-term target, but advised trimming study boundaries and pursuing parcel-by-parcel annexations where advantageous. They also noted service and operational constraints — police and fire voiced concerns about access and serviceability in parts of the northern study area.

Council members asked for more granular maps, parcel-level zoning overlays and clearer breakouts of residential versus commercial parcels. The consultants committed to an open-house session next week to gather public feedback and to return to council in August with a final draft incorporating that input.