Stone Mountain CID Expands in Tucker

The (CID) has grown.

The CID - industrial and commercial property owners within a specific area who have agreed to increase their own taxes to pay for various improvements in that corridor - recently received county approval to expand up to the Gwinnett County line, said the district's president, Emory Morsberger.

Before the expansion, the district's area included Mountain Industrial Boulevard roughly from Hugh Howell Road in Tucker to East Ponce de Leon and all side streets within that corridor.

"We had people from the other parts of the area asking if they could join us," Morsberger said.

Now extending up to about Lawrenceville Highway, the Stone Mountain CID has added about two more miles to its area, Morsberger said.

The expansion resulted in the following changes:

• property owners: 144 from 88
• total value of properties: about $330 million from $240 million
• number of buildings: around 230 from 160;
• number of businesses: about 700 businesses from 400.

As the Stone Mountain CID has developed, its dealings with county departments have increased, and district officials say the experience has been positive.

When stop signs have get accidentally run over by big trucks, for example, the county usually comes out within a day to take care of it, said CID board member Joe Chapman.

"They’ve been very helpful," he said.

Also helpful is the increased security the CID has set up in the corridor, which has curbed crime including suspected copper theft.

The expansion will be one way to help the Stone Mountain CID meet its goal to create 2,000 jobs in the district by the end of 2013.

"We're still creating the plan to do it," Morsberger said. "We have a long way to go, but we will accomplish that mission."

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