Peachtree Corners Businesses Targeted For Annexation

An active annexation campaign conducted by the City of Norcross has caused a stir among businesses in greater Peachtree Corners.

The Norcross outreach effort includes an “Invitation to Annex” packet targeting commercial properties within the boundaries of the future proposed City of Peachtree Corners.

Recipients are given a letter detailing the benefits of locating inside Norcross city limits and the forms necessary to seek annexation. The documents also state that, “Annexation fees are waived through September 15, 2011.”

United Peachtree Corners Civic Association President Mike Mason said an Open Records Act request yielded the mailing list Norcross used for its annexation push.

Mason said the city has surprisingly expanded its targeting beyond the Triangle area to include businesses on both sides of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Peachtree Parkway up to Medlock Bridge Road.

“This is a big expansion into areas deep in the heart of Peachtree Corners that are not contiguous to the City of Norcross,” he said. “ If those businesses join Norcross, there would be no input by the citizens on any change in zoning or code enforcement, which could affect the citizen’s property values.”

In the meantime, Mason said Peachtree Corners representatives also plan to target commercial properties with their own information, including invitations to join a new Peachtree Corners Business Association.

Some area hotel operators were not fully aware of the upcoming incorporation vote or why they should consider annexation. The Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau (GCVB) recently conducted a special information session to address these issues.

According to Lisa Anders, the CVB’s deputy director/marketing communications directors, representatives from many of the hotels were present for presentations from Norcross Economic Development Director Rusty Warner as well as Mason.

“We received a lot of calls and questions, so we facilitated the meeting for our hotels,” Anders said. “We are neutral on the topic. We just wanted to present both sides so that hotels can be fully informed.”