SPARTA, Ga. — Families from Sparta, Georgia went to the Georgia Public Service Commission to condemn the railroad development a Washington County company is doing.
Last year, we reported Sandersville Railroad Company wanted to install a railroad track through Sparta. However, that would mean it would go through land belonging to homeowners. Blaine and Diane Smith would be affected.
"Hopefully, this will let the railroad know that there's more than just the Garretts involved in this. So far, we've got all the families that have property that the railroad's going to be crossing," Blaine Smith said.
Smith has lived in Hancock County all his life. He says his home on Shoals Road has been passed from generation to generation. He wants to continue that tradition and the history of his family land. Betsy Sanz, an attorney with the Institute for Justice, says what the railroad company is doing isn't right.
"What you have here is a private railroad attempting to use the power of eminent domain to service one private company," Sanz said.
Sanz says this is abuse. Eminent domain means the government wants to take private property and use it for public use and give compensation, but the families affected say no amount of money will convince them to give up more than 70 years of family history.
"What we've determined is that the land they try to take is part of our property, it served our families for generations at least three in my family and the Garretts," Smith said.
The Smiths have thought long and hard about the decision, but they have no plans to change their mind.
Sanz says what makes this whole process illegal is that only one private company would use the tracks and it doesn't serve anyone else.
We reached out to Sandersville Railroad Company and their spokesperson told us the railroad track would eliminate the number of trucks that go down Shoals Road.
The Smith family and others will continue to fight along with other families who will be impacted by the railroad. They told 13WMAZ they have roots and generational wealth to build on their land.