The Atlanta City Council’s zoning committee will be the first to tackle a request by Emory University, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Children’s Healthcare to become part of the city.
The Council assigned the matter to the committee without comment, a week after the request that Atlanta expand its borders to include the campuses.
The zoning committee — headed by Councilwoman Carla Smith — will discuss the merits of the rezoning and receive public feedback of its impact on the community.
Emory, which has an Atlanta mailing address, would remain a part of DeKalb County.
“We are enriched by our relationships with the county and the city, as well as the larger region and the state, and look forward to building upon our commitment to community involvement, academic excellence, innovation and entrepreneurship,” Emory President Claire E. Sterk said in a statement last week.
The annexation would allow the Emory area — specifically its congested Clifton Road corridor — to be considered for millions of dollars in transportation funds. A sales tax increase for transportation improvements was approved last year by city residents. Emory has long sought light rail connecting it to MARTA to address its traffic woes.
The Atlanta City Council moved the matter to zoning without comment. The annexation is expected to be discussed in late July, the council’s office said. The next zoning committee meeting is July 12.
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