The Georgia Public Service Commission on Wednesday ruled in favor of the Sandersville Railroad Company to move forward with its plan to build a 4.5-mile rail spur in Hancock County, linking a quarry and string of other developments to an existing CSX rail line.
The ruling comes on the heels of an April recommendation by a PSC Hearing Officer that the process of eminent domain be allowed to begin on several 200-foot-wide strips of property along the proposed rail line. Some local landowners, backed by billionaire-led legal advocacy organizations like the Institute for Justice and the Southern Poverty Law Center, were unwilling to negotiate the sale of their property, forcing state officials to weigh in on the decision.
Sandersville representatives argued that eminent domain – in this case the power of a state-chartered to take private property for public use, with just compensation to the owner – was justified to move forward with one of the largest economic development projects in county history. The PSC commissioners unanimously agreed, voting 5-0 to support the April decision and allow the project, dubbed the Hanson Spur, to move ahead.
“Although we do not take the use of eminent domain lightly, without it we would not have roads, airports, electrical lines, gas lines, or a host of other infrastructure that allows our communities to thrive,” said Ben Tarbutton III, president of Sandersville Railroad. “We are grateful for the PSC’s decision, which not only supports the Hanson Spur project but also upholds the vital role of railroads in Georgia’s economic future. It is important for railroads and a variety of other utilities to have certainty when it comes to their ability to provide for our state’s and nation’s infrastructure.”
The Hanson Spur is one of the largest economic development projects in Hancock County history. When completed it will link the Hanson Aggregates Quarry, owned by Heitelburg Materials, to an existing CSX rail line. The spur will allow the quarry to ship an additional 500,000 tons of quartz aggregate, (think loose rock used for industrial development – especially roads and construction) per year. With just one round-trip per day the rail line will eliminate more than 150 trucks on local roads.
The spur will provide more than $1.5 million in annual economic benefit for Hancock, the largest economic development outlay in its history. And that number is expected to grow when new tenants – among them already confirmed are Pittman Construction, Veal Farms Transload, Revive Millings, and Southern Chips – move in along the line to take advantage of the new rail access and take more tractor-trailers off the road.
Like many rural Georgia counties, Hancock has struggled to attract industry and create jobs for residents, something Tarbutton says this project will do.
“The Hanson Spur will provide new market access for local businesses, farmers, and loggers, and we look forward to working with the community to bring these benefits to Hancock County,” Tarbutton added.
Representatives from the Institute for Justice said Wednesday they will appeal the decision to the Fulton County Superior Court on behalf of the affected property owners. The crux of their argument is that the rail spur does not provide a public benefit, instead benefiting the private companies that it services.
But the PSC disagreed with that notion, as did Sparta Mayor Allen Haywood, who is also the director of the Sparta-Hancock Development Authority.
“This is a generational opportunity for our community. The Hanson Spur—along with the new State Route 15 bypass just a few hundred yards away from it—will create many jobs over time. In the near future, this project will reduce harmful truck traffic on our roads and make Hancock County a viable destination for new businesses,” said Allen.
