JONES COUNTY, Ga. — Some folks in Jones County are petitioning against a proposed solar farm that could be built near their homes.
After planning and zoning board members recommended rejecting the developer's application in Monday's meeting, a few neighbors told 13WMAZ they're feeling relief.
William Benedetti and his family have lived in their home located off Skinner Road for 25 years. He said it's a peaceful area.
"It is nice, peaceful and quiet," Benedetti said. "We do have a train that comes through, but you know, that's for the rock quarry - we live between two rock quarries."
Now, he said that sense of peace and quiet is threatened by a 75-acre solar farm proposal. Inman Solar, an Atlanta based company, wants to lease the old cow pasture across from the Benedetti's home.
'Nobody wants to walk out their front door and see 75 acres worth of solar panels," Benedetti said.
One of his neighbors, Bubba Henry, began a petition. Benedetti cited concerns such as fire safety, possible water system contamination by chemical runoff from the panels and a hit to their property value.
"We're so far out from town, we don't have any type of really big resources," Benedetti said. "You had to have a special chemical to put out the fire."
Monday, planning and zoning members unanimously voted to reject the application for a conditional use. Jones County Administration Jason Rizner says the company did not address all resident's concerns. He said if it is approved by county commissioners, it will be a joint project with Georgia Power.
"The representatives of the solar company said that they were still kind of in the preliminary phases or stages of coming up with the plan for that property," Rizner said.
13WMAZ attempted to reach out to Inman Solar for a statement but did not receive a response. Benedetti said he hopes county commissioners will also strike down the plan during their January 21st meeting.