Residents in Hancock County said they've received threatening letters from the Sandersville Railroad Company to take their land if they were not willing to accept an offer for it.
"It's necessary to properly accommodate the business of Sandersville Railroad," said Janet Smith, No-Railroad Coalition organizer, as she read from a letter from the Sandersville Railroad Company (SRC).
The Sandersville Railroad Company, owned by Ben Tarbutton, has been sending letters to residents about his plan to put a rail spur through their community; right by some houses, with plans to use eminent domain to take their land.
Melanie Benson moved from Florida after finding the perfect piece of land for her plans to have a small farm in her backyard. Her property backs up to a land trust. It's separated by a fence, but on her side of the fence, pink flagging tape has been put up by surveyors hired by SRC. Pink flagging marked where the railroad has planned to lay track.
"Surveyors came onto my property without asking permission by any means," said Benson. "They're trying to put the railway right through here."
Plans state the rail spur will be used to carry granite from the local Hanson granite quarry to more gravel out at a faster pace.
Notably, for the economic growth of the companies involved. Which locals say isn’t legal.
"This is my property, I worked my entire life to be able to have this quiet sanctuary," Benson said. "I purchased this property specifically because it backed up to a land preserve."
WGXA spoke to the Tarbutton last week. He said he would begin the process of condemnation as a last resort, but on that same day, a homeowner received a letter in the mail from attorneys obtained by the SCR, formally beginning the process of using eminent domain to take their land.
Residents have been questioning the legality of the railroad's plans - because to do what the railroad intends to do so would have to benefit the community - and they say it wouldn't.
"...but here we are...choo-choo," quipped Benson.
Other residents have continued to say using eminent domain for private company economic development is unconstitutional and that the railroad doesn't hold the proper authority to do what they plan to do.