Could Fairburn become Fayette's

sixth city?

That's the question the Fayette

County Commission will wrangle with at a called meeting to discuss the

Fulton County city's plan to annex some acreage lying just within Fayette

County's northern border.

The County Commission wanted

the meeting for May 22, but during Monday night's meeting of the Fairburn

City Council, the council said that date was unacceptable.

Mayor Betty Hannah said she

would be at a homeland security conference in Fulton County and would

not be able to attend the meeting.

The City Council instructed

city attorney Brad Sears to see if June 5 was an acceptable date with

the County Commission.

The issue started last week

when Fairburn officials requested that nearly 10 acres ooff Milam Road

be annexed into the city.

The property is part of a 47-acre

site owned by the Bedford School, which wants to expand its school and

have it all in the city limits, said Fairburn City Clerk Nancy Faulkner.

"The site is 75 percent

in Fulton County, but it would be Fayette's sixth city," said Commission

Chairman Greg Dunn.

But county officials said the

move could set a precedent.

County Commission executive

assistant Carol Chandler said adjacent property owners could also petition

for annexation.

"The zoning categories

would be Fairburn's, so higher density development could occur,"

she said.

With higher density, comes

more stress on the county's infrastructure, such as schools and roads,

she added.

But Fairburn officials say

the annexation is done just to keep all the school's property in one municipality.

Both sides will present their

cases when they can settle on a date at the Fayette County Administrative

Complex

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