Commercial and Residential Locksmiths in Buckhead

(The Center Square) — Georgia senators rejected a move to de-annex the Buckhead community from Atlanta and create a new city.

The Senate voted 33-23 against Senate Bill 114, which would have incorporated Buckhead City.

"All of us here today recognize that Atlanta has its problems just like every other city across the state, including yours," state Sen. Sonya Halpern, D-Atlanta, told fellow lawmakers, urging them to vote against the measure.

"…Atlanta is the capital city of the South. It’s not in Alabama. It’s not in North Carolina. It’s not in Texas. It’s not in Tennessee. It’s here in Georgia," Halpern added. "And here in Georgia, we build things up; we don’t tear them down. So the world is watching, and how we react, how we vote and how we lead will define this body and its members."

The topic has picked up steam in the past few years, with residents raising concerns about public safety. A similar measure failed during the last session.

"I truly believe that we have reached the point where we are today because [of] city leaders and elected officials who felt that they could ignore the concerns of their taxpayers without being watched because that group of taxpayers only represented a small portion of their population," state Sen. Randy Robertson, R-Cataula, said in presenting the bill. "The problem with this theory is that these leaders fail to remember that Georgia has a strong history of disgruntled citizens who break away from counties and form cities in order to establish their own identity when they feel their voices are not heard, nor do their opinions matter.

"...What I’m representing [is] a piece of legislation that gives Georgia citizens the opportunity to express their opinion on whether they want to form their own communities or not," Robertson added.

The move took a hit this week when the governor’s office selectively released a memo from David Dove, Gov. Brian Kemp’s executive counsel. It outlined several concerns about the measure, including how the cities would share bonded indebtedness, and said that if passed, it would have far-reaching ripple effects.

"This makes no sense politically, operationally or financially," state Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell, said on the Senate floor. "So, what are the next steps; how do we really fix the problem? It’s time to drop the angst and the egos and start working together.

"And this goes for both sides: There is no winner or loser after this vote is taken today. There’s not," Albers added. "But it’s a chance to start working together, and working together isn’t calling people names and attacking them and saying, ‘how come you didn’t meet with me?’"

After the vote, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens vowed to work with residents.

"To my fellow Atlantans: whether you support or oppose deannexation, I will continue working with you to improve our services, to invest in our communities and ensure a safe city for all," Dickens said in a statement. "Atlanta is a group project, and we will work every day of the week with you, on your behalf, and hearing your voices."

Atlanta, GA — Buckhead cityhood is making a comeback in the General Assembly. State Senate Majority Whip Sen. Randy Robertson (R – Senate District 29) introduced Senate Bill 114 on Feb. 8 which would allow voters to decide whether to transform Atlanta’s Buckhead community into a city.

“For nearly two decades, there has been a reasoned process allowing residents to vote for or against cityhood for their community. While many votes have been successful, as recently as last year, several votes have failed,” Robertson said in a press release. “Regardless of the outcomes, what matters to me as a legislator is that the people had the opportunity to decide for themselves. As lead sponsor of this legislation, you will not hear me politicizing, name-calling, or blaming. I simply believe in the right of self-determination, and there is a lot of wisdom in letting the voters sort through the politics and settle the argument once and for all.”

Last year, Buckhead cityhood supporters vowed to keep fighting despite the issues not moving forward in the state Legislature during the 2022 session. Then-Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and then-Speaker of the House David Ralston had signaled they would not support a Buckhead cityhood measure, according to Atlanta News First.

The General Assembly is under new leadership, however, this year, with Burt Jones serving as lieutenant governor and Rep. Jon Burns serving as the new speaker.

Some cityhood bills were considered by the Legislature and voters in 2022. Last year, voters approved the city of Mableton. But the proposed cities of Lost Mountain, Vinings, and East Cobb didn’t make it. SB 114 follows the same protocols for referendum followed by incorporation.

To read the full text of the bill, click here.

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Buckhead remains wealthier and is growing faster than the rest of Atlanta, according to 2020 U.S. Census data.

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), a metro area planning agency, provided Buckhead.com with an analysis of the latest Census results for Buckhead and the rest of Atlanta. All Census findings are estimates of the ever-changing population and their lives, but they give a snapshot of where life stands and where it’s heading.

The federal government conducts the Census every 10 years, asking Americans various questions about themselves. The results are supplemented by regular surveys. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the results of the 2020 Census took a while to come in. The following are the ARC’s estimates for 2021 statistics.

Population

Buckhead’s estimated population is 108,388 — about one-fifth of the entire city. That’s nearly 25,000 more residents added in the past 10 years. Buckhead’s compound rate of population growth, 2.34%, is well above the rest of Atlanta, which is at 1.38%. And the ARC expects that boom to continue, with Buckhead adding a net of roughly 10,000 more residents over the next four years.

The daytime population — the combination of residents who stay and workers who arrive — is even higher in a heavily commuter-oriented neighborhood. Buckhead’s daytime population is estimated at 164,746, contributing to the overall Atlanta total of 722,656.

Demographics

Buckhead’s population skews a bit older than the city as a whole. The median age is 37.9, while the rest of Atlanta’s is 34. By generation, the biggest single demographic bracket is millennials at 34.1% of the population. That’s followed by Generation X at 19.8% and Baby Boomers at 18.1%.

Buckhead remains heavily majority-White in a city that has a population at least plurality Black, and maybe still a majority, depending on the ebb and flow of estimates. Buckhead’s White non-Hispanic population is 70.65%, compared to 26.94% in the rest of Atlanta. The ARC estimates Atlanta overall as slightly majority Black non-Hispanic at 50.69% of the population, while Buckhead’s Black population is 11.49%.

However, Buckhead is gradually becoming more diverse. The White non-Hispanic population dropped 5% since the last Census. The Black population increased by less than 1%. Residents of Asian background are 7.76% (up 3.19% since the last Census) and Hispanic residents are 7.67% (up very slightly). The population of the rest of Atlanta is about 5% Asian and 4% Hispanic.

Income

Buckhead remains a high-income community. The median household income of $109,774 is far above Atlanta’s overall $68,806; minus Buckhead, the Atlanta median would be $58,025. Buckhead’s per capita income is $85,452, more than twice that in the rest of Atlanta at $40,717.

Buckhead residents have an unemployment rate nearly a third that of Atlanta’s overall figure: 2.4% compared to 6.5%. Minus Buckhead, Atlanta’s unemployment rate would be 7.7%.

Housing

Buckhead remains king of home values and prices. The neighborhood’s median home value of $669,668 far outpaces the overall Atlanta figure of $385,218. Buckhead dominates the supply of homes valued at $2 million or higher at 6.4% of the stock, compared to 0.8% in the rest of Atlanta.

All the same, Buckhead is a majority-renter neighborhood (54.18% of households) in a majority-renter city (58.5%).

Buckhead’s estimated 62,445 housing units represents about 23% of the city’s stock. An estimated 11.53% of those units are vacant, lower than the citywide percentage of 15.17%.

Charts by Rob Knight.

ATLANTA - The top topic on this week's episode of "The Georgia Gang" will be the failure of a bill to create "Buckhead City" in the state Senate.

"We've got to give Mayor [Andre] Dickens a huge amount of credit for this," said panelist Tharon Johnson, who is CEO of Paramount Consulting Group.

Johnson said Mayor Dickens met with lawmakers at the state Capitol ahead of the vote and has focused heavily on public safety in the Buckhead community since taking office.

Martha Zoller pointed out that the senators who represent the impacted area were against the measure.

"In general, when you have a movement like this the legislators that represent the area like Sandy Springs, Brookhaven are in favor of it," Zoller explained.

The panelists agreed the final "nail in the coffin" was a leaked memo from Gov. Brian Kemp's legal counsel that outlined several questions about financial obligations, transfer of public properties and where the children who live in the proposed city would attend school.

"This has never been done before and there's a real good reason it's never been done before and it's because it would impact bond ratings for the entire state, not just the City of Atlanta and any new city," said Melita Easters.

While the Buckhead movement appears to be dead for this session, Phil Kent said it will likely be back in 2024.

"I think next year will be the time for the proponents to come back again, do a PR campaign and answer some of these serious questions that deserve answers," said Kent.

"The Georgia Gang" airs Sundays at 8:30 a.m. on FOX 5 Atlanta.

The landmark estate of the late Charlie Loudermilk, located at 825 Davis Drive, sold last week for the first time since the 15,000 square foot home was constructed in 1999. The $8.6 million sale price makes the estate the most expensive property sold in the Buckhead area so far this year.

This iconic property is recognized by most as the home with the life size statue of a buck gracing the corner of Davis Drive and Northside Drive. The home was designed by William T. Baker for Loudermilk with significant influence from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Virginia, at twice the scale.

The estate includes the 15,000 square foot home and is sited on 14.1 acres. Other amenities on the property include a fishing pond, waterfall, greenhouse, an old log cabin that was once a hunting lodge, and a barn. The property was listed for sale for just over $9 million in November of last year and received several offers before a deal was struck, closing 77 days after being listed.

Buckhead real estate broker, Ben Hirsh, Broker/Owner of Hirsh Real Estate – Buckhead.com, represented the Loudermilk family in the sale of the estate. “I had the privilege of knowing Charlie and spending time with him here at his home. He loved this place dearly and it was a significant moment in my career to handle the sale for his family,” said Hirsh. The sale of the Loudermilk estate further reinforces Hirsh’s 18-year track record in the Buckhead market; in 2021 and 2022, he brokered more of the top 10 home sales in Buckhead than any other Realtor.

Meet the new owners

The new owners are Rajiv (Raj) and Nita Sardana, longtime residents of Duluth, Georgia. Raj grew up in New Delhi, India in an average middle class family and came to the US in 1982 to attend Georgia Tech. “I’m not even clear exactly how I managed to get here, but I scraped together what I needed for a plane ticket and ended up washing dishes in the cafeteria while I earned my masters degree in mechanical engineering.”

Raj and Nita met and married in Chicago, where she had been raised, and then settled in metro Atlanta which they have called home ever since. Raj Sardana is the Chief Executive Officer of Innova Solutions, which he and Nita founded in 1998. The company is a B2B provider of technology solutions with annual revenue approaching $3 billion and more than 50,000 employees deployed across 25 different countries worldwide. The couple has remained committed to giving back to the communities in which the company does business. Nita Sardana is Vice President of Community Outreach and Corporate Giving and has led Innova Solutions to support local U.S.-based non- profit organizations such as the YWCA’s Teen Girls in Technology Program, Women in Technology, and the Atlanta Food Bank. “Our family looks forward to enjoying this beautiful property and the Buckhead community while making it our own.” the couple said.

Charlie Loudermilk’s son, Robin, said it well when reached for comment: “Our father loved his property on Davis Drive and the home he built there. We are very happy for the new owners and thankful for a smooth transaction. While his former home may be in new hands, his memory lives on in the legacy he left behind for our family, the Buckhead community, and the entire city of Atlanta.”