Civic History

This brief Civic History highlights the milestones that led to the incorporation of the city of Chattahoochee Hills.

Our Rural Heritage

The rural communities that are now a part of Chattahoochee Hills date back to more than 100 years.

Many of the families native to this area have raised generations in the modest white frame homes that dot the countryside, and some elders, still cared for by extended families in the communities, recall life before rural electrification, paved roads, and bridges that crossed the Chattahoochee River.

The reasons that keep many families in this area--a strong sense of community, a beautiful rural setting, and a love for nature--are also the reasons that are attracting more people, and potentially damaging sprawl.

1980-2006 - South Fulton Parkway

In the 1980s, Georgia Department of Transportation conceived a plan for the South Fulton Parkway, a 20-mile thoroughfare designed to provide access to the undeveloped area south of the Atlanta. Politicians saw the Parkway as a four-lane catalyst for residential, commercial and industrial development; however, many residents saw the Parkway as a potential for bringing uncontrolled sprawl. Fortunately the slow progress of building the Parkway gave residents, potential developers, and the county an opportunity to develop a plan.

1997-1998 - Scenic Byways and Community Vision

In the fall of 1997, Fulton County began a year-long series of meetings with south Fulton residents to discuss and plan a Scenic Byway. Throughout the planning process, county facilitators encouraged residents to consider things they liked about the area, things they wanted to change and/or keep the same, and things they considered assets, such as Cochran Mill Park, tree-lined roads, open views of pasture land, farms, historic buildings, and recreational options such as hunting, fishing, and horseback riding. Using community input, Fulton county created an overlay to its land use plan to protect the assets, and they designated a Scenic Byways route.

2001-2002 - Chattahoochee Hill Country Alliance

In 2001, the Chattahoochee Hill Country Alliance (CHCA) formed as a result of major landowners in south Fulton County organizing around a common mission and vision supporting the conservation of existing greenspace, land values, and sustainable development. Through a Charrette led by the director of the School of Architecture of Washington State University, CHCA, and other partners developed the idea grew to create a master plan for the 40,000-acre region they called the Chattahoochee Hill Country.

Throughout the late summer and fall of 2001, CHCA led a series of neighborhood meetings to explain its mission and obtain broad support from the landowners. Those in attendance were unanimous in their support of a master plan.

As progress continued in the community meetings a master plan developed, which included neighborhood districts and land designations including three villages designated for mixed-used development, hamlets to provide small local services to the communities, and agricultural districts designed to preserve the existing rural character and natural features of the areas.

2005 - Sandy Springs Incorporates

In December 2005, when the north Fulton community of Sandy Springs incorporated, the law changed to allow new cities to incorporate within three miles of an existing city. However, the Georgia Municipal Association announced its intentions to change the law back to its original wording after the 2006 legislative session. This meant that proposals for new cities had to be submitted by January 2005 in order to be considered.

Residents of unincorporated north Fulton submitted proposals for the new cities of Milton and Johns Creek, which prompted discussions and a proposal to incorporate Chattahoochee Hill Country and a city of South Fulton. (The city of South Fulton effort is led by a separate group.)

Jan 2006 - Senate Bill 553 to incorporate City of Chattahoochee Hill Country

In the winter of 2006, SB 553 is introduced to incorporate the City of Chattahoochee Hill Country. At the 12th hour, a state legislature decision pulls 7,000 acres of the Chattahoochee Hill Country into the new (proposed) city of South Fulton, thus removing one of three village sites in the 40,000 acre Chattahoochee Hill Country.

In March 2006, Gov. Perdue signs SB 553, allowing south Fulton residents the opportunity to vote to become the City of Chattahoochee Hill Country. The Chattahoochee Hill Country alliance held community meetings to educate the community about the referendum process:

May 2006 - Additional annexations

In May 2006, CHCA learns of an annexation request by a large land owner in the Chattahoochee Hill Country to join the city of Palmetto, thus removing the second of three village sites in the 40,000 acre Chattahoochee Hill Country. This annexation also "splits" the Hill Country due to its location.

CHCA team leaders call an emergency community meeting to discuss the news and take a straw poll vote on three options:

Jun 2006 - Chattahoochee Hill Country attempts annexation into Palmetto

In June 2006, residents at the community meeting voted to attempt to annex into Palmetto. In order to meet the annexation timeline specified by SB 553 the community must have signed petitions from 60 percent of land owner and 60 percent of registered voters--all within two weeks.

In an unified effort, the community sets out on a door-to-door petition campaign and achieves its goals.

Only after the petitions are signed and collected does the community learn of additional requirements: to advertise in the local paper, and to set signs out for every land parcel that is being annexed. The community finds a way to accomplish these goals, but then learns that the city of Palmetto will need approximately 80 hours to process all of the annexation requests. There isn't enough time before the state deadline to meet this requirement, so the plan to annex into Palmetto is tabled.

Aug 2006 - Chattahoochee Hill Country assesses its options

In August 2006, CHCA team leaders call a community meeting to discuss the news and take a straw poll vote on thee options:

Sep 2006 - Future City in Chattahoochee Hills

On August 28, 2006, residents at the community meeting voted to continue their efforts towards becoming the City of Chattahoochee Hills Country. At the end of the meeting, residents signed up for committees to put their plan in place.

The Public Information taskforce volunteered to create a Web site called, future city in Chattahoochee Hills to give the incorporation committee its own Web site and to distinguish its Web site from the Chattahoochee Hill Country Alliance Web site. It also suggests using the abbreviated name, Chattahoochee Hills to further distinguish it in text from the Chattahoochee Hill Country Alliance.

Oct 2006 - Chatt Hills Organizing Committee Forms

On October 24, 2006, the steering committee voted to incorporate the organizing committee as a Georgia nonprofit organization under the name, Chatt Hills Organizing Committee, Inc.

On December 2, 2006, the Chatt Hills Organizing Committee attended a visioning session facilitated by the Tomlinson-Graham Group. The committee developed the following statements, which were adopted by the Steering Committee on Dec 5:

Vision: A locally controlled, locally protected Chattahoochee Hill Country.

Mission: The mission of the Organizing Committee is to develop a plan which outlines revenue sources, serves provided, and other aspects of establishing the city of Chattahoochee Hill Country; and to communicate this plan to the community such that an informed electorate goes to the polls in June 2007

On December 5, 2006, the organizing committee filed its application to incorporate as a nonprofit organization with the Georgia Secretary of State. The official name and address of the committee is:

Chatt Hills Organizing Committee, Inc.
P.O. Box 183
Palmetto, GA 30268

At the steering meeting on December 5, the committee elected officers for its nonprofit organization:

Jan - May 2007 - Information Campaign

The Chatt Hills Civic Association kicked-off its information campaign on Jan 20 with a community meeting at GBCH in Palmetto. It introduced the new Organizing Committee, shared the information it had to date, and talked individually with residents to collect questions and other concerns they had.

Over the next five months, the information campaign continued with a series of 20 neighborhood information meetings through the community. Simultaneously, the Organizing Committee researched questions raised by the community. It also contracted with Georgia State University to conduct a feasibility study.

When the feasibility study was finalized, it showed that the new city of Chattahoochee Hill Country could afford to operate without raising taxes, based on the projected revenues.

On May 19, 2007, the Organizing Committee had another community information meeting to share the results of the feasibility study and to show its support for incorporating the city of Chattahoochee Hill Country.

From May 19 - June 19, the Organizing Committee conducted a canvassing campaign with the goal of reaching every household in the community to inform them of the upcoming referendum.

June 19, 2007 - Referendum Passes

On June 19, 2007, nearly 50 percent of the 1,381 eligible voters cast their ballots in the referendum vote to incorporate the city of Chattahoochee Hill Country. Of the 681 who voted, 569 voted “Yes” for the new city, and 112 voted “No,” for a
total of 83% in favor of the city.

Nov 6, 2007 - First General Election

Between July and November 2007, a full slate of candidates ran for public office and the opportunity to be the first to serve the city of Chattahoochee Hill Country. The election resulted in a run-off for the position of mayor, and council districts 2, 3,
and 5.

Candidates

Mayor:
Don Hayes (Run-off)
Tom Reed (Run-off)
Rocky Reeves

District 1:
Ruby Foster
John Taylor (elected)

District 2:
Doris Boylen
Carl Hattaway (Run-off)
Mark Prater
Mickey Tierney
Julie Wall (Run-off)

District 3:
David Hanson (Run-off)
Cleto Montelongoc
Alton Powell
Laurie Searle (Run-off)

District 4:
Faye Godwin (elected)
Wayne Straddling

District 5:
Ernie Henderson (Run-off)
Rodney Peek (Run-off)
Hugh Tyer

Dec 4, 2007 - Run-Off Election

With the run-off election on Dec 4, the city of Chattahoochee Hill Country had its first slate of locally elected officials:

Mayor: Don Hayes
Council District 1: John Taylor
Council District 2: Carl Hattaway
Council District 3: Dave Hanson
Council District 4: Faye Godwin
Council District 5: Rodney Peek

Dec 11, 2007 - City Council Inauguration

On Dec 11, 2008, the mayor and city council of Chattahoochee Hills were inaugurated.

Next Chapter

With the city formed and the newly elected officials in office, the work of the Chattahoochee Hills Organizing Committee was complete. But knowing that the new city might need continued support, several former committee members met with the mayor and council to ask how residents might volunteer to help. The mayor initiated a plan to help volunteer align their efforts based on the most immediate needs of the city. That volunteer effort grew and organized into the Chattahoochee Hills Civic Association.