COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT for the City of Stone Mountain, Georgia Submitted for Review: August 2005 Prepared by: Robert and Company City of Stone Mountain – Community Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction .................................................................................................................................1 Community Profile......................................................................................................................1 Issues and Opportunities...........................................................................................................2 Analysis of Existing Development Patterns ............................................................................5 Recommended Character Areas............................................................................................10 Analysis of Consistency with Quality Community Objectives.............................................12 Supporting Analysis of Data and Information .......................................................................17 Population .......................................................................................................................17 Current and Projected Future Population .........................................................................17 Age Distribution of Current and Future Population...........................................................19 Race..................................................................................................................................20 Income and Poverty Levels...............................................................................................21 Employment ......................................................................................................................23 Economic Base – City Industries/Jobs..............................................................................23 Resident Labor Force........................................................................................................24 Economic Resources ........................................................................................................25 Economic Trends ..............................................................................................................26 Housing ...........................................................................................................................27 Type & Mix ........................................................................................................................27 Housing Cost.....................................................................................................................29 Age & Condition of Housing..............................................................................................30 Household Size.................................................................................................................31 Overcrowding ....................................................................................................................31 Cost Burden ......................................................................................................................31 Special Housing Needs.....................................................................................................34 Jobs Housing Balance ......................................................................................................34 Projections ........................................................................................................................35 Natural and Cultural Resources ......................................................................................36 Environmental Planning Criteria .......................................................................................36 Other Environmentally Sensitive Areas ............................................................................40 Significant Natural Resources...........................................................................................44 Significant Cultural Resources..........................................................................................44 Residential Resources ......................................................................................................46 Community Facilities .......................................................................................................49 Water Supply and Treatment ............................................................................................49 Sewerage System and Wastewater Treatment ................................................................49 Solid Waste Facilities........................................................................................................49 Stormwater........................................................................................................................49 Public Safety .....................................................................................................................50 Recreation.........................................................................................................................53 Transportation .................................................................................................................55 Study Area Transportation Network..................................................................................55 Existing Inventory and Conditions.....................................................................................55 Assessment of Current and Future Needs .......................................................................72 Intergovernmental Coordination......................................................................................75 Adjacent Local Governments and the Service Delivery Strategy .....................................75 School Board.....................................................................................................................76 Regional and State Entities...............................................................................................77 Private Entities ..................................................................................................................78 City of Stone Mountain – Community Assessment Introduction The Community Assessment is the first phase in Stone Mountain’s 2005 Comprehensive Plan Update. The document is an objective assessment of data and information about the city that was prepared without direct public participation. The assessment provides a list of potential issues and opportunities present in the city based on the analysis of the data inventoried in the document. The document also presents an analysis of the city’s existing land use patterns and identifies geographic areas in the city with unique characteristics or development issues that will require special attention during the planning process. The community assessment is intended to present a basis of information that will serve as the foundation for the second part of the city’s plan, the Community Agenda. Community Profile The City of Stone Mountain is located in central DeKalb County and is a member of the ten- county Atlanta Regional Commission. The city is located approximately ten miles east of Atlanta and approximately five miles northeast of Decatur, the county seat. Stone Mountain encompasses approximately 992 acres (1.5 square miles). The city’s 2000 population of 7,145 residents as reported by the U.S. Census ranks it fifth amongst DeKalb County’s seven municipalities, excluding the City of Atlanta. The 2003 Census Bureau estimate for the city’s population show a slight decrease to 7,097. 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