Henry County objects to Lovejoy annexation application

On Wednesday, September 8, Henry County commissioners filed an objection to an application for annexation into Lovejoy. This is the county’s third time submitting the objection since 2017.

The application for annexation comes from a property owner near Old Highway 3 and Steele Road. The 301-acre property also has road frontage on highway 81 and Lovejoy Road. Some residents describe the property as the sod farm.

Garden Lakes

In 2020, the property was reviewed by Atlanta Regional Commission for a development of regional impact. At the time, LGS Holding Group 2013, LLC of Stockbridge, GA proposed a subdivision with 1,135 units. The proposed development, known as ”Garden Lakes,” includes the following:

• 610 detached single-family homes, and
• 525 townhomes.

The development also includes a twenty-six acre farm-to-table garden.

The land owner first applied for rezoning in Henry County, but later sought annexation into Lovejoy. Henry County subsequently objected to the annexation request in June 2020.

Lovejoy Annexation

If the subject property were to be annexed into the city of Lovejoy, then the city would become the county’s fifth city. This would provide Lovejoy with a portion of LOST and SPLOST collections. It would also allow Lovejoy to annex further into Henry County.

State law allows counties to object to annexation requests when cities would cross county lines. In these circumstances, the application for annexation stops when the county objects. This is unlike other annexations. Generally, an application for annexation favors the cities in the dispute process. This applies when the city is an existing entity within the county.

The land owner may file an appeal in court if they so choose. Otherwise, the annexation process now ends.