One of the faux neo-cities just went Humpty-Dumpty causing real damage in the fall. And just who was hurt? Well, it wouldn't be the residents as they suffered self-inflicted irreparable damage when they put this jinga game out there for others to play. Badly. With startling transparency the AJC reports that Stonecrest established a developers' authority coincident with installing a rather powerless mayor. Elation all around, but especially for the developers who looked to score a cool three-quarters of a billion dollars. But wheeler-dealers have resigned and important documentation is nowhere to be found. It appears the deal is crashing down leaving developers to weep in their '59 Dom Perignon.
While this is strangely amusing, structural weaknesses and financial calamity is not the real issue. At least not the one facing Buckhead, East Cobb and whatever will become of GreenCliff. Their dilemma is how to ignore the tune of the pied pipers leading them to a similar fate, handing all the gold to developers, increasing their taxes and forfeiting any meaningful vote at the ballot box while handing their lives over to bureaucrats who will serve any interest but theirs.
Unlike Stonecrest (and Dunwoody) these folks have a chance to avert disaster.
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