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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Sandy Springs Referendum May 11, 1966 Prepared for Sandy Springs/ Atlanta Team for Tomorrow The facts and figu.res in this booklet have been thoroughly checked and approved by the City of Atlanta . �PREFACE Atla nta ' s reputation as a major busine ss, cultural, social, and industrial c e nter didn't develop by ac c ident. It is a product of t hou ght f ul planning b y imaginat i ve people who poo l ed ideas, efforts and resourc e s. Part of the secret o f our ar e a's new a n d ex citing promise is simple reco gnition of the fact that p eop le wo rking together toward a g oal ar e more e f fective tha n people worki ng i n fragme nt e d div isions. In t h e r ef er endum o f Ma y 11, the p e ople of Sandy Spring s will be offered an o ppor tun i t y to join i n the adventure o f helping build a unique a n d remarkable c ity. For Sandy Spring s resident s , the quest ion at issue i s not me rely "How would corning into the c ity affect taxes, or schools, or rep r esentation in local government? " these are important. Though , o f cou rse, a l l The l arger que st ion is "How can Sa ndy Sp rin g s take full advantage of, and get i t s share of the rewards of the t remendous economic, cultural, and industrial boom now gripping Atlanta?" An d the answe r is ..• by b e coming an integral part of the city. By participating i n its l eader ship. By see ing t h e v i sion o f a great, and con tinually greater Atlanta. By joining in the grand enterprise of full p ar tic ipa tion in the invig orating p r esent and the stimulatin g fut u re of one great c ity . Atlanta is an at titude .• . not an a r ea. �The following letter text attests to the accuracy of the material in this booklet: March 16, 1966 Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Gentlemen: We have carefully studied the report of the Committee on Annexation of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce as revised March 14 ' 1966 entitled "Questions and Answers on Proposed Sandy Springs Annexation" and find no inaccurate statements of fact therein. In accordance with our previous statement of policy this letter is not to be construed as an endorsement of annexation. We have agreed to cooperate with the Chamber of Commerce in editing this report solely for-·purpose of guaranteeing the citizens of Sandy Springs the opportunity to make their decision on the question of annexation based on an accurate and unbiased knowledge of the facts. Sincerely, George H. Ivey, Jr., President Greater Sandy Springs Association �CONTENTS Page ..... ...... . 1 A Compar i son o f Taxes . . . . . . . . • . . . . . • . . 3 Represen tation i n Lo cal Governmen t . . . • • . • . . . 5 • • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • 7 ....... 9 Police Protection . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Sanitation Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Water Service . . . • . . . . . • • • . , . . . . . . • 13 Sch ools • • . . • . . . . . . • . . . • . . . . . • . . 14 Sewers . . . . . . 15 Str e e t Lights and Traffic Signa l s . . . . . . . . • . . 16 Street s a n d Side wa lks • . . . . · • • . . . . . . • . . 17 Map • IBC . . . . . . . Ad Valorem Taxes Growth a nd Zonin g • . . . . Fire Pro t e ction and Fire I nsurance . . . . . . . . . . • . . • • · • · . . . • . • • • · • · · . . . . . . . . . . . . . �The following questions and answers cover the main issues involved i n the May 11 referendum. For answers to more specific and individual questions, contact Sandy Springs/Atlanta Team for Tomorrow, 6125 Roswell Road, N.E., Sandy Springs Shopping Center, Telephone 252-23 24, 252-2325, or 252-2326. AD VALOREM TAXES Q. - What would happen to my tax bill? How much more would it cost me to receive the improved services inside the city ? A. - The ad valorem taxes on your home would be higher i nside the city, but the increase in taxes would be largely offset by r eductions in other charges. In almost every case, the net result would be only a moderate increase in the total. As an example, consider the effect on one of the homes t aken from a random survey of Sandy Springs residences. The example is a single-family frame dwelling on Dalrymple Road. Its v alu e, for tax purposes, is $38,400. The 1965 Fulton County real estate tax b{ll (exclusive of personal property) on this property was $452 .6 6. If the home had been inside the city, the county and city tax combined would have been $586.42, an increase of $133.76. This increase in ad valorem taxes would hav e been l a r gely off s et by lower charges in three areas: Wa t e r , s a nitation serv ice and fire insurance. The actual water bill for this residence l a s t year was $94.62, which is very close to the average b i ll s h own in a survey of some 55 homes. Inside th e city , the water bill would have been $47.70, a decrease of $46 . 92 . The sanitat ion service cha r g e would have been $22.00 inst ead of $35. 00, for another saving of $13. 00. It is more difficult to arrive at the precise s aving po ss ible in lower insurance rates f or this homeowner, because of the several different types of insurance he might choo se. But a good estimate c an be obtained by c omparing t he rates for straight fire insurance on his dwelling . Si nce t h e value of hi s lot makes up part of the tota l valu e of his pr opert y, assume that his dwelling is valued at $3 2 ,000 of the $38 ,400 t otal . Straight fire insurance on this amount would be $95 . 40 in the Sandy Springs Fire District, which has a Class 6 r a ting. I nside Atlanta, wh i ch has a Class 3 rating, the s ame ins urance wou l d cost $55 . 20, a difference of $40.20. (If the home were a few bl oc ks beyond Dalrymple Road, outside the fire dis t rict, the same policy would cost $296.60.) Thus, in t he exampl e , an a d valorem tax increase of $133.76 would be offset by sav i ng s o f $46.92 (water), $13.00 (sanitation) and $40.20 (fire ins urance ) , a total of $100.12. The net difference would be only $33.64 if the home were inside the city. Another "intangible" saving will work to the benefit of homeowners when they file federal and state income taxes. Both federal and s t ate income tax procedures allow local tax payments to be claimed as a "deduction." Payments for such items as water and insurance - 1 - �are not "deductible." This means that the homeowner inside the city - whose property taxes are higher and other charges lower can deduct a greater portion of his total payments for income tax purposes. The net effect on his income tax bill would vary, of course, depending on the income bracket and other factors. But a conservative estimate is that the typical homeowner could reduce his combined federal and state income taxes by about 20 per cent of the additional amount deductible for ad valorem taxes. In other words, the taxpayer in the example shown above could deduct $133.76 more if he were inside the city, and the estimated saving on his income taxes would be $26.75. Considering all aspects of his taxes and charges, the homeowner cited in the example would actually pay about $7.00 more per year for the advantages of being inside the city. - 2 - �A COMPARISON OF TAXES AND CHARGES FOR SEVERAL TYPICAL HOMEOWNERS (Sandy Springs - City of Atlanta) In the following examples - all of which are actual residences in a random survey of Sandy Springs homes the ad valorem taxes, water bill and sanitation charges paid in 1965 are compared with what the same items would have been if the homes had been inside the corporate limits of the City of Atlanta. The "net change" shown does not reflect the saving in fire insurance, which would range from a few dollars to a substantial amount, depending on type of dwelling, location of the residence, type of insurance carried, etc. The change also does not include the savings on Federal Income Tax deductions. See page 1, last paragraph. Value of Home Example !fl $23,680 w Example 112 Example 11 3 Example 114 Example !I S 20,720 33',880 16,360 11,960 Assessment Real Estate Tax Co. $ s, 920 City 8,280 $ 241.06 338.82 Co. City 5,180 7,250 Co. 8,470 City 11,850 Co. City Co. City 4,090 5,7 20 2,990 4,1 80 Personal Property Tax $ 71.31 65.59 Water Bill $ 79.29 39.93 Sanitation . $ Net Change 28.00 22.00 + 97.76 5.72 - 39.36 6.00 198.51 289.21 35. 08 33.25 53.01 26.61 28.00 22.00 + 90. 70 1. 83 - 26.40 6.00 387.69 510.44 166.76 158.06 129.66 65.46 28.00 22.00 +122.75 8.70 - 64.20 6.00 135.84 215. 73 30.49 28.90 93.16 46. 96 28.00 22.00 + 79.89 1. 59 - 46. 20 6.00 72. 59 141. 70 31. 05 29. 43 38.41 19.21 28.00 22.00 + 69.11 1. 62 - 19.20 6.00 + 46.68 + 56.47 + 43.85 + 26.10 + 42.29 �Example 116 Example 117 29,440 12,960 7,360 Co. City 10,300 Co. City 3,240 4,540 323.8 6 435. 86 175.96 1 66 .78 78 .56 39 .56 35. 00 22.00 +112.00 9. 18 39 . 00 1 3. 00 86. 96 158. 84 68. 44 64 . 87 82 . 94 41. 78 28 . 00 22 .00 3. 57 - 41.16 6 .00 79.3 6 75.22 93. 16 46 . 96 35.00 22. 00 4. 14 - 46 . 20 - 13.00 70 .15 66 . 4 9 85.86 43. 26 35.00 22 .00 3 . 66 - 42 . 60 - 13. 00 87. 99 83. 40 65. 42 32 .90 28 . 00 22 .00 4 . 59 - 32 . 52 6 . 00 85.11 80 . 67 112 . 14 56 .58 28 . 00 22. 00 4 . 44 - 55 .56 87 . 99 83 . 40 69 . 07 34 . 75 4 .59 - 34 .32 + 71. 88 Example 118 28,160 Co. City 7,040 9,860 305 .46 414.58 +109.12 Example 119 33,920 Co. 8,480 City 11,870 Example 1110 23,800 Co. City 5,950 8,3 20 21,360 Co. City 5,340 7,480 43,000 Co. 10 ,750 City 15 ,040 - 207. 71 300.17 + 92. 46 Example 1112 - 242.7 9 340. 78 + 97.99 Example fi ll - 388 . 26 511.30 +123.04 .i:-- - - 518.79 663 . 82 +145.03 - - 6. 00 + 50 . 82 + 21 . 15 + 45 . 78 + 63 . 78 + 54 . 88 + 26.46 28 .00 22 . 00 - 6 .00 + 100.12 �L REPRESENTATION IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT Q. - What representation would I have in local government? Other than being able to vote in elections involving city offices and city issues, how would my voice in local matters be increased? A. - You would have more representation in your local government, and you would have a greater voice in matters affecting your communit y because you would be closer to your representatives. The legislative act which provides for the referendum in Sandy Springs spells out specifically that the area would join the city as the new Ninth Ward. The new ward would be represented by two members of the Board of Aldermen and one member of the Board of Education, all elected. The act further provides that only the voters in the new ward could vote in the first election for these three offices. The first election of Ninth Ward officials would be held in conjunction with the general election in November, and the officials would take office the first of 1967. The Sandy Springs area presently is governed b y , and participates in the election of, a three-man county commission. County commissioners must be responsive to the citizens of all areas of the county, and rightly so, since they represent all the county. The five members of the Fulton County Board of Education, each representing a school district, are appointed by the Grand Jury for five-year terms. The county school superintendent is elected by county-wide vote. By having two aldermen, both r e siding in the ir ward , Sa n dy Springs citize ns would have a stronger voice in matt ers o f local government and, in effect, would be closer to their elected representatives. In future elections t h ey would vote in the election of Atlan ta' s mayor, the president of the Board of Aldermen, all member s o f the Board of Aldermen and Board of Education, and two members of the City Executive Committee from th e i r own ward. The Sandy Springs ward also would b e represented on other board s, such as the Atlanta Public Library Board o f Trustee s. Additionally, the area's repr esentation would be enhanced by the appointment o f its aldermen to various aldermanic committees which would deal with matt ers pertaining specifically to the Sandy Sp ring s area as well as thos e affecting the city as a whole. It should be ke pt in mind tha t the Sandy Sp rings area, with a population of only abou t 2 0 , 000, has far fewer citizens than any one of the city's other eight wards. The present eight wards are made up of more than 500,000 citiz e ns , f o r an avera ge of almost 65,000 per ward. Therefore, representation of the Ninth Ward from the beginning woul d be proportionately much greater than the current ratio in the other wards. It is logical to expect, then that some f orm of ward rea lignment is a possib ility in the future.' No such p l an is presently pending, however, and the new ward would seem a ssured of its proposed representation for several years. - 5 - �Future elections of Ninth Ward aldermen and school board members, beginning with the next city election in 1969, would be by citywide vote, as is the present procedure for the eight wards. But candidates would still be required to reside in the wards they represent. - 6 - �GROWTH AND ZONING Q. - What would happen in the field of zoning and future development of the Sandy Springs area? A. - 1. You could expect the Sandy Springs area to continue to develop as primarily a low density single-family community. Future apartment and commercial development could be expected to take place along portions of the major thoroughfares with emphasis on strong neighborhood commercial centers at appropriate intervals as opposed to continuous strip commercial development. Property would be reclassified into the City of Atlanta zoning district which most closely resembles the classification which it is presently zoned under in the Fulton County Zoning Ordinance. Zoning designations as established and use permits as approved by Fulton County prior to January 1, 1967 will be honored by the City of Atlanta, and will remain in effect. 2. Public hearings for consideration of proposed zoning changes in the Sandy Springs area would be held only four times a year, following the area system as is now presently being used in Atlanta. These hearings are held only by the Zoning Committee after receiving recommendations by the staff of the Planning Department and the Atlanta-Fulton County Joint Planning Board. The decision of the Zoning Committee receives final action by the full Board of Aldermen and Ma yor. 3. The Atlanta Zoning Ordinance contains district classifications which closely relate to those in the Fulton County Ordinance, although similar classifications in Atlanta generally contain more restrictive requirements. In addition to these similar districts the Atlanta Ordinance contains several new classifications which permit only a highly selective number of uses with regulations which permit and encourage high development standards. These classifications provide for a reasonable use of certain properties while permitting onl y the best development for the communit y. A brief description of these new districts follows: The "R-9 Single-Family Dwelling Group District" provides for the construction of townhouse units for individual unit sale under condominium ownership. Units may not be rented under this district. The district p r ovides for a maximum of twelve dwelling units per aGre and a maximum ground coverage of thirty-five percent including. buildings , parking and drives. Several fine townhouse develop ments are presently under construction in Atlanta under the provisions of this district . - 7 - �The "A-L Apartment-Limited Dwelling District" provides for low-density, high-standard apartment developments generally compatible with substantial single-family residential areas. The district permits garden apartments (two story units) at a maximum of twelve dwelling units per acre and permits only thirty-five percent ground coverage including buildings, parking and drives. The "C-L Commercial Limited District" permits primarily office and institutional uses and a few selected retail studios and shops. Signs must be attached to the wall of the building and be only twenty square feet in size. This district provides often for a reasonable use of portions of the major thoroughfare while discouraging all the inherent ill effects of continuous strip commercial retail zoning. It has been found to be generally compatible with certain residential uses as well. 4. Work would begin immediately to include the Sandy Springs area into the comprehensive planning process now underway in the City of Atlanta. This comprehensive planning process is made up of four elements as follows: 1. Projected future land use needs and their location as a guide to future rezoning evaluations. 2. Designation of Major Thoroughfares and their future effect on the adjacent use of land . 3. Plans for needed community facilities such as parks, schools and libraries along with genera l locations . 4. The programming of improvements and source of funds necessary to implement these future plans. - 8 - �FIRE PROTECTION AND FIRE INSURANCE Q. - How would my fire protection be affected? What would this mean in regard to what I pay for my fire insurance? A. - Your fire insurance rates would be reduced -- substantially , in many cases. But, more important, better fire protection would be afforded to your home or business. Fire protection and fire insurance rates go hand in hand. The better the protection available to you, the less you must pay for fire insurance. Ratings are assigned to particular areas on the basis of fire protection facilities and other factors. Fire insurance rates , in turn, are determined b y a formula based on the rating. The City of Atlanta has a Class 3 rating, which compares ve ry favorably w~th other cities of similar size across the nation. Atlanta has kept well within the requirements o f its Class 3 rating by building, equipping and maintaining fire stations at k e y points throughout the city, and by assuring an ample water supply in ev e r y area. Fire protection, in short, is ex cellent and f ire insu r ance rates are as low as rates in all but a few major cities . Sandy Springs, on the other hand, has t wo different rat i n g s : Class 6 for the Sandy Springs Fir e District (which comprises r oughly t h e area south of Dalrymple Road) and Class 10 f or the ar e a o u ts i de th e fir e district. Fire insurance rates for Cla ss 6 are signif i c antly higher than Cla ss 3 , and the rates for Class 10 ar e eno rmo u s ly higher -- particularly in the c a s ~ of a f rame dwelling, for whi c h the rates are as much as five and a h a lf time s gr e a ter than Cl a s s 3. Protection for the Sandy Spring s Fire District is f u r n i shed by one fire station in t h e area, manned b y one compa ny, a nd by another company of firemen operating from a City of Atlanta f ir e statio n on Northside Drive . (The additional compa ny wor kin g fr om t he Atlanta station is support e d by the Sandy Sp.r i ng s Fir e Di s tr i ct. When this prot e ction was a dded , the district ' s ra t i n g improve d from Class 7 to Class 6 . ) Emergency "back-up" a ss i st anc e is availab le from th e Northside Dr ive station and another stat ion in Buc khead. The protection is f u r nished b y the Cit y of Atlant a un der a c ont ract arrang ement , and residents o f the distr ic t pay a 4.5 - mil l tax for the serv ic e. Atlanta ' s Class 3 r ating depen d s on a h i gh degree o f protection thr ou g hout t he ci ty. Thu s , i f Sa n dy Springs joined the city, it would b e come t he c i t y' s r esp on s ib ili t y to all its citizens to bring the n ew area up t o Cl as s 3 s t a nda rds as quickly as possible . The ci t y cou l d n o t ri s k t he l o s s of i ts Class 3 rating, and it would not a llow any ar e a to g o with o u t ad e quate protection. Once Sandy Sprin gs voi c ed it s desire to become a part of Atlanta , th e city would immedia tely reque s t the Southeastern Underwriters - 9 - �to undertake a survey of the new area to determine what needs must be met to satisfy Class 3 requirements. The recommendations from the survey would have to be met for Atlanta to maintain its rating. Although the recommendations from the survey would be the final guide, the city has made a preliminary study of the area. It is anticipated that three new fire stations would be required. One of these would replace the existing station, which is considered substandard and poorly located to cover such a large area. The anticipated equipment needs include replacement of two e x isting engines and acquiring one new engine and a ladder truck. (Present equipment would be ineffective in fighting a fire in a building taller than two stories.) Personnel needs have been estimated at 35 additional men, seven of whom would form a battalion chief's unit. At l anta's present situation -- facilities, equipment and manpower which comfortably meet minimum standards -- would give the city a head start toward bringing the new area up to Class 3 standards in a minimum time. By submitting a reasonable, workable timetable fo r meet ing standards within an agreed period, the city could help effec t a lowering of insurance rates within a year. An ex a mp l e of the city's efforts in this respect can be taken from the 195 2 Plan of Improvement, by which a large new area entered the c ity. Some areas were brought up to Class 3 within a few months and the entire area within 18 months. - 10 - �POLICE PROTECTION Q. - What changes would occur in police protection? Would the city build a new precinct station in Sandy Springs? A. - Police protection would be greatly expanded and improved -- and the basic concept would change from the type of service provided in rural areas to the "full-service" protection afforded in a heavily populated urban area. No additional stations are contemplated in any area of the city, at present. Sandy Springs presently receives its police service from the City of Atlanta under a contract arrangement with Fulton County. The service includes four patrol cars in the area around the clock, but the service is limited by the number of officers assigned. The only laws enforceable are state laws, which are designed, for the most part, for rural areas. Anyone arrested as a violator of a state law must be turned over to the Fulton County sheriff for trial in a state court. If the area chooses to join the city, it would be necessary to increase immediately the radio patrol service now provided; foot patrolmen would be added for duty in the business district, and a number of motorcycle patrolmen would be put on traffic and patrol duty. (The number of additional men required is under study by the Atlanta Police Department.) In addition, the citizens of the Sandy Springs area would receive the benefit of all the services and facilities of the Juvenile Crime Prevention Squad and the special squads in the Detective Department, which are not now available to the area. Policemen would enforce city ordinances , as well as state laws, the same as they are enforced in the rest of Atlanta at present. The City of Atlanta presently has appro x imately 1 . 5 policemen for every 1,000 population. The city is striving not only to maintain that ratio but to improve it for the increased protection of all its citizens. As for the addition of a precinct station, the trend is a wa y from the precinct concept in these days of two-way radio communications and other modern facilities. A radio patrol car , manned by two officers or even just one, is literally a "traveling precinct station." With radio communications, the patrolman can call for assistance and have other officers at his sid e within moments . There are no plans for any precinct stations, and the emphasis will continue to be on mobility and close communications b y r adio . - 11 - �SANITATION SERVICE Q. - How would my garbage pickup and other sanitation services be affected if Sandy Springs joins the city? have to pay more for this service? As a homeowner, would I A. - Your sanitation services would be expanded and improved and it would cost you less. As a resident of Atlanta, you would begin receiving several services which are not now available to you -- rubbish pickup, street cleaning, dead animal removal, sanitary inspection, and "guttering", which means periodic removal of grass and other obstructions from street gutters. It is the city's responsibility to bring all these services to its citizens, as well as providing two garbage collections each week. Instead of paying more for these additional services, your sanitation charge would be reduced to a maximum of $22.00 a year. This is based on a base charge of $6.0b plus $4.00 for each 25 feet of lot frontage or fraction thereof, but not to e x ceed the $22.00 a year maximum for residences. This would mean a savings of either $6.00 or $13.00 a year for you, depending on where you live. Two different types of garbage collection service are now provided to the people of Sandy Springs under an arrangement between the City of Atlanta and Fulton County. "Indistrict" service is provided to those within the sanitary district, which includes all of Sandy Springs south of a line extending 300 feet beyond Abernathy Road. Residents within the district receive two garbage collections per week, for which the homeowners pay $28. 00 per year per premises . The rest of the Sandy Springs area receives "out-of-district" service, which includes two garbage collections per week on an optional basis. Those homeowners who desire the service pay $35.00 per year for it, and no charge is made of those who do not want the service. Business establishments throu ghout the Sandy Springs area now p ay for garbage collection on the basis of the actual cost of rendering the service. Most businesses would realize a substantial saving b y being a part of the city -- and would receive improved service as well. A survey of city sanitary services is being conducted presently by the Public Administration Service . These findings, which will be available soon, will result in improved services. Any change in rate schedules will apply both to city residents and to county residents now receiving city services under contract with the county government. - 12 - �WATER SERVICE Q. - What difference, if any, would there be in the way water is supplied to my home or business? Would my water bill be affected? A. - The only difference would be on your water bill, which would be cut in half.

Virtually all the existing homes and businesses in the Sandy Springs area already receive their water from the City of Atlanta Water Department under an arrangement between the city and Fulton County. Users outside the city, however, are billed for water at a double rate. The minimum monthly water bill for City of Atlanta users is $1.57; for those outside the city, the minimum is $3.14. Thus, the annual savings for water users inside the city is at least $18.84. In reality, savings run much higher than the minimum, however. Atlanta _people are accustomed to having a plentiful supply of good water at low rates, and they use it in quantity. Ex perience has shown that very few homes, inside or outside the city , use little enough water to be billed for the minimum. An actual survey of 55 homes in .the Sandy Springs area chosen at random, showed that the average water charge paid during 1965 was $90.10. Only five of these homes were within a dollar of the minimum bill , and three of the larger users paid $203.39, $240.62 and $366.39. If these same homes had been inside the city, their water bills for 1965 would have averaged $45 . 57. The average sav ings would h ave been $44.53 per home. A similar survey of businesses, also chosen at random to include small operations as well as large, revealed an av erage wat e r b ill of $130.26 per year. The average savings inside the city would have been $62.83. - 13 - �SCHOOLS Q. - What changes would occur in the schools my children attend? Wha t would be done about school bus transport a tion, since the Atlanta system does not have free transportation? A. - Several maj or differences would occur in the way of advantages: The addition of kindergartens in the schools of the Sandy Springs ar ea; a greater emphasis at the high school lev el on vocational programs, in addition to the college preparatory and general programs; and the benefit of more specialized programs and more technical specialists. School bus transportation, admitt e dly, is a problem which would have to be dealt with - and right away. In general, the curricula of the Atlanta system and the Fulton County system are similar, as are the personnel policies , overall operational procedures and financial structures. Addition of kindergartens to the Sa ndy Springs schools would -b e an ex p e ns ive undertaking f o r the ci ty, p a rticularly wher e e x isting fa cilities are operating almost at capacity. In those elementary schools where space is immediately available, kindergartens would be started in January, 1967, and teachers provided. In elementary schools where cla ssr oom space is not readily availa ble, air-conditioned supplemental cla s s rooms would be r e a dy for use , with necessary teache rs, b y t h e opening o f school in Sept ember, 196 7. Prima r y stud i es show th a t 1 0 additional teache rs and some $243,000 to $293,000 in additional funds would be required to provide programs for the estimated 4 50 kindergarten pupils in the a r ea. The salary s chedul e s f or teachers are s omewhat higher in th e Atla nt a s ys t em , which al s o would me a n ad diti on a l exp e nditure s. In gen eral , Atlant a t e a c her s ma ke 8 . 9 perce n t mor e t h a n Fulton Count y t eache rs . I n b e comin g a part o f the At l a n t a Sc hoo l Sys t e m, t eache rs i n t h e Sa ndy Springs s c hoo ls wou ld t r ansfer directly to the city 's pension plan without loss of a n y money or benef its. Atlant a an d Fulton school offi cial s both say t hat p e n sion b e n efits of both s y stems a re p r a c tically the same . The Fulton County s y s t em provide s fr ee b u s t r a ns port a ti on f or pup i ls who live furt h e r than 1 - 1 / 2 mil es fr om scho ol, a n d t h is exp e ns e i s cove r ed by lo cal a n d s t a t e f u nds . On t he o ther han d , the Atla nt a Tr a ns i t Sy stem provides bus tran sportation fo r Atla n t a sys t em pu p il s on r out es d e t e rmin e d by pupil n eed and with pup i l s payin g as t hey ri de . Robert Sommer v ille, pr e sid e nt o f the Atla n t a Tr a n sit Sy st em , has given assu ranc e t hat s chool bus route s will b e provid e d for p upil s in the Sandy Sp rin gs area. Ad dit i on a l construction n eed s a re e vid ent in the Sandy Sp r i n g s ar e a . Enr o l lment ha s increa s ed s ome 56 percen t sin ce 1 960, and it co n t i n u e s to inc rease. Estimates are tha t the e n r ollment in k inde r g ar t ens through the twel fth grade wil l ex ceed 1 0,000 pupils b y 1970. Q. - Wha t would happ en to s choo l pupils l i ving in the a r e a south of Roswe ll a nd nort h o f the Sa ndy Spr ing s ar ea , not affe ct e d by t h e r efer e nd um? A. - Both city and county s chool offic i als have g i v en a ssurance that these pup i ls would be al l owed to rema in i n the i r p resen t sc hoo l s i f t h ey c h oos e. - 14 - �SEWERS Q. - Would there be any major chang es in the system of sewer service? Would I be assessed any sewer charges before sewer service is ex tended to my home? A. - If your home is already on a sewer line , or if you have a working septic tank, you probably would see no immediate changes that would affect you. Certainly, there would be no sewer assessment charged until sewer service is provided . The city already has made a preliminary study of the probabl e needs of the area, and it would undertake to make the necessary improvements and additions as soon as possible. However , y our present situation would largely govern the effect on y ou and your home . For example, if your home already is served b y a sewer line , you would see nothing different. You would continue receiv ing the service with no special charges or other chang es, ex cept where such might be applied city-wide. If your home is serv ed b y a working septic tank in g ood condition, then y ou would not be affected until a sewer line is ex tended to your street. Ev en when this occurred, you could be granted as long as six y e a rs to pay the assessment which is alway s made for this se rv ice . If sewer service were brought to your neighborhood for th e f irst time -- this is always by petition of the r e sidents -- then y our property would be assessed on a front-footage basis for the sewe r line in front of y our property. This assessment is set b y l aw at $ 3.50 per f ront foot. The connection to y our home fr om t he sewer line, if the line were laid on a str e et t h at is a lready p aved, would be between $80 and $1 2 0. And a gain , if y ou a l ready h ave a satisfactory septic tank , you could be allowed up to six yea r s to pay t h e assessment. This policy e x ists in the case of a lready ex ist ing r es idences a n d does not a pply to va c ant p r op e rt y, howeve r . The p r elimina r y study b y the c i t y has i ndi cated several immed i ate needs in t h e ar ea , s ome of wh ich wou ld be p riori t y requirements. One o f these n e eds i s f o r an out f all s ewer in t he a r ea of Heard's Ferry Ro a d, wh i c h wo ul d connect to t he Mar s h Creek Wa t e r Pollution Cont r ol Pla nt . Anoth er d ef in i te need i s for e x pan sion of some segments o f th e Nan cy Creek t r unk sewer, whi ch would b e a joint projec t with DeKalb Count y. Severa l o the r n eeds are a ntic ipa t ed in the near future, but, in g enera l , mo s t of the Sandy Sp rin gs area is reasonab l y well sewered ex c e p t in s ome areas where the t o pography of the land will always be a p rob l em i n p r oviding an extensive system of sewer service. - 15 - �STREET LIGHTS AND TRAFFIC SIGNALS Q. - Would the city provide street lights in my neighborhood right away? What would be done to improve our traffic signals? A. - As a general policy, the City of Atlanta provides street lights in areas as requested by the residents, and it has kept up with demands since the 1952 Plan of Improvement. As for traffic signals, first attention would be given to upgrading the ex isting signals at several intersections and to satisfying the known needs for new installations at key intersections. No wholesale program of street light installation is anticipated in any part of the city, because of budget limitations. In other words , a neighborhood . that has not expressed a positive desire for t h is service need not fear that street lights would be forced on them . However , the city, through its Traffic Engineering Department , has been attentive to the requests of those who do want lights and ·is currently right on schedule in meeting these demands. Additionally , a program of upgrading street lights on major t horoughfares is in progress to bring these facilities up to the lat es t recommended standards. A prel iminary survey in the Sandy Springs area has shown that some 20 2 street lig hts a re currently in use, 90 on arterial streets and 11 2 on local stree ts. The estimated needs for arterial streets includ e a n a d ditional 1,341 lights, which, obviously , could not be ins t a l led al l a t once. The estimated needs for local streets are for some 2, 7 00 add i tional lights, which would be undertaken by the city on the basis of r equests by the residents. In genera l , t he cit y inst a lls traffic signals at intersections where traff ic co n d i ti on s satisfy the " warrants" set out by uniform national sta ndard s, a s a dopted and prescribed by the Georgia Highway Department. Howev er, Atla nta citizens on occasion have shown a de s ire f o r and have p rov ided the necessary funds to have signals ins talled a t s ome i nt er sections where the "warrants" are not fully met. This can be acc omp l is hed at ·i ntersections where signals are a help t o traffic movement a n d a convenience to the citizens . Eight traffic s ignals a re now in ser v i ce in the Sandy Spring s area , and an e s timate d f i ve or s i x new signals would be needed in the next two to three y e ars , a c co rd ing to the city survey. These would be undertaken according to p rio r i ty n eed . 16 �r------- 1 STREETS AND SIDEWALKS Q. - What could Sandy Springs expect in the way of street and sidewalk improvements, now and in the future? How can we get sidewalks or streets paved, and how much would it cost? A. - A survey by the City of Atlanta Department of Construction found three streets in the Sandy Springs area in "below average" condition, ten streets still unpaved, while the remainder of your streets are in "good" or "average" condition. The "below average" streets -- Davis Drive, Morgan Falls Drive and Northside Drive -- wi ll require resurfacing in the very near future, probably during 1967, the Construction Department said. The city has pledged to assign a high priority to these projects and already has projected an estimated cost of $45,000. Paving of streets and sidewalks in the City of Atlanta, with two exceptions, requires a petition signed by more than 50 percent of the property owners involved. Property owners are assessed for the cost of the paving on a front-footage basis. The average assessment for sidewalks in residential areas (six-foot sidewalks) is about $2.60 per front foot, and property owners are allowed up to four years to pay. Charges for street paving vary with the size of the project, but the assessment generally is between $6.50 and $7.50 per front foot for paving and curbing. Property owners are allowed up to 10 years to pay the assessments for street paving and up to four years to pay for curbing. The t wo exceptions to the petition method are for sidewalks which are deemed necessary in rare instances for reasons of safety , and for sidewalks in front of schools. If a sidewalk is required for public safety, the city may put one in without being petitioned and then assess property owners on a front-foota g e basis. Sidewalks in front of schools are built at city e x pense , with no petition required. Two schools in Sandy Springs are presently without sidewalks -- Morgan Falls School and Brandon Mill School (under construction). In line with the city's policy on school sidewalks, these two projects would be undertaken at the e a rliest possible date. - 17 - �C 0 B B 0 C u N T y D C E O K U A N L T B y PROPOSED SANDY SPRINGS ANNEXATION �SANDY SPRINGS INCORPORATE, BE ANNEXED, OR STAY AS WE ARE? JUNE 1965 THE SANDY SPRINGS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION Executive Committee: William Waronkar, President ·Edward H. Wasson, Jr., Vice President Edgar Orr, Treasurer mrs. w. W. ford, Jr., Secretary E. E. "Tom" Fuller Mrs. John Galambos Ben Cbris Harris Mrs. Robert Hosse Max Shatzen (President, 1964 - Frank Love, Jr.) �