Can Peachtree City Annex Into Coweta? Officials Say No

Claims that Peachtree City could annex land in Coweta County, extend TDK Boulevard, or influence development on recently purchased property near Sharpsburg are not supported by state law or local officials, according to leaders in both counties.

The issue resurfaced publicly during the March 19 Peachtree City Council meeting, when resident James Clifton raised concerns about missing recordings from a January retreat and suggested discussions about data centers and the TDK extension could point to broader plans involving Coweta County land.

The Citizen has since learned through open records that additional recordings of the retreat exist, including copies retained on personal devices by Councilwoman Suzanne Brown and a city staff member. Those were revealed on Wednesday, March 25. 

Officials said that regardless of what may have been discussed during the January retreat, any scenario involving annexation into Coweta County would still require Coweta’s approval and does not have a viable path forward.

Interviews with officials in Coweta County, Peachtree City, and the Town of Sharpsburg further clarify why.

Coweta: No request, no path forward

Coweta County Commissioner John Reidelbach said Peachtree City has not submitted any request to annex land in Coweta County, including the area surrounding TDK Boulevard or property recently purchased by a company owned by Brent Scarbrough.

“To my knowledge, we have not had any requests,” Reidelbach said.

Even if such a request were made, he said state law sets a high bar.

Under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 36-36-23), annexation into another county would require unanimous approval from all five members of the Coweta County Board of Commissioners.

Reidelbach said he would oppose such a move, making clear it would not receive his vote.

“I don’t foresee this ever coming to fruition,” he said.

Reidelbach, who serves as a state-approved arbitrator on annexation disputes through the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, said allowing such an annexation could open the door to additional expansion efforts under a different legal process — something he said Coweta would want to avoid.

Such a move could also shift future commercial development — and the tax revenue that comes with it — out of Coweta County and into Peachtree City. That could include existing and future commercial properties in the area — including major retail anchors like Costco — which are a significant source of local tax revenue.

Peachtree City: ‘No chance’ of annexation

Peachtree City Mayor Kim Learnard confirmed that conversations with Coweta officials have taken place but said they were part of ongoing intergovernmental communication, not an active effort to annex land.

Learnard said she reached out to Reidelbach following a January council retreat to better understand the issue. After that discussion, she said it became clear that annexation into Coweta County would not be possible.

“It can’t happen,” she said. “The Coweta County commissioners are against it, and state law supports their position on that matter.”

She added that any earlier discussions about annexation are now outdated following those conversations.

Sharpsburg mayor: misinformation persists despite correction

Sharpsburg Mayor Elizabeth Good said she has fielded calls from residents concerned about the same claims and took the step of contacting Clifton directly to correct what she described as inaccurate statements.

Good said Clifton had publicly stated that Peachtree City could annex land in Coweta County without the county’s approval.

“That’s actually not true,” Good said she told him, citing state law.

She said the law allows Coweta County to object to such annexations, and that a single valid objection would be enough to stop it.

“It can’t happen unless Coweta were to agree to it,” she said. “But again, why would Coweta agree to that?”

Good said Clifton continued to assert his interpretation after she attempted to correct it directly.

She said the misinformation has led to confusion among residents, with friends and community members reaching out to ask whether the claims could be true.

“I don’t think that’s fair to people,” she said. “I don’t think anybody should get emotionally involved in something that’s never going to happen.”

Clifton, a current candidate for Fayette County Commission, has continued to raise the issue publicly, including in online forums and local Facebook groups, where the claims have drawn significant attention.

Development questions remain local to Coweta

Speculation has also centered on whether the Scarbrough property — sometimes referred to as the former “Mormon property” — could become a site for a large-scale data center.

Officials say that decision would fall entirely within Coweta County’s jurisdiction and would face multiple hurdles.

Reidelbach said any such project would require rezoning and would be subject to county ordinances and public input.

Good, who has worked in real estate for 15 years, said the property’s location and infrastructure make it an unlikely candidate for a data center.

“It doesn’t make sense,” she said, noting that data centers require significant power infrastructure and are typically located near existing industrial areas.

Bringing that level of power to a rural site can cost millions of dollars per mile in transmission infrastructure, according to industry estimates, making remote locations far less practical than established industrial corridors.

She also noted that sewer infrastructure does not currently extend to that property. While Coweta County is working to expand sewer access into Sharpsburg’s existing town limits to support downtown revitalization, that expansion does not reach the Scarbrough site.

“There are more suitable properties in Coweta County that would be bypassed to put a data center there,” she said.

TDK extension faces longstanding barriers

The idea of extending TDK Boulevard into Coweta County has also circulated alongside annexation claims.

Officials on both sides describe that concept as unlikely.

Reidelbach said such a connection has been discussed for years but has never gained the support needed to move forward.

Good said both counties have clear positions that effectively stop the project.

“Coweta said to Peachtree City, we’re not going to ever agree to that,” she said. “And Peachtree City said to Coweta, we’re not ever going to agree to that… and that’s it.”

Previous reports reached similar conclusions

This is not the first time the issue has been addressed publicly.

A March 2 report in The Citizen detailed statements from Peachtree City leaders denying claims related to data centers and annexation. A separate column published March 9 also raised concerns about misinformation surrounding the issue.

The latest reporting adds perspectives from Coweta County and Sharpsburg officials, who echoed those earlier conclusions.

What happens next

While annexation into Coweta County appears off the table, development of the Scarbrough property could still move forward through normal county processes.

That could include residential or mixed-use development, subject to zoning, infrastructure, and public input.

For now, officials on both sides of the county line say the larger claims tying annexation, the TDK extension, and data center development together do not reflect how those decisions are made — or what is currently possible.

“This is not something that’s going to happen,” Good said.

Peachtree City may study annexation, but not west into Coweta, where leaders say the path is closed.