ATLANTA — A historic neighborhood in Northwest Atlanta just learned an area of trees and park space will soon be needed for high-tension power lines.
Fulton County gave Georgia Power permission to use their land.
Channel 2’s Steve Gehlbach spoke to neighbors, who say they only just found out it was happening within the last couple o weeks, and a month after the deal was done.
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The work moving forward would take away a buffer of trees next to a neighborhood with about 330 homes.
“These trees are the only thing separating these homes from the jail,” Arthur Toal told Channel 2 Action News.
A strip of land on the north side of the Fulton County Jail borders the Howell Station neighborhood.
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“Now we use it as a de facto park,” Toal said.
Toal is on the community’s board. he said neighbors only just found the county turned the land over to Georgia Power, with plans showing it will be used for 115,000 volt transmission lines to connect two substations.
Homeowners told Channel 2 Action News that it not only removes their visual, sound and light buffer from the Rice Street Jail, but removes two centuries-old trees and reduces property values.
The community said it was also concerned that there would be potential health risks with some homes just feet from the high power lines.
“So 50 feet, then the lines, then another 50 feet,” Toal said.
Fulton County sold the utility easement, just over 2.5 acres, to Georgia Power for $10.
The resolution passed at the commission’s March 19 meeting, part of the consent agenda without any discussion or notice to anyone in Howell Station.
Neighbors only found out weeks later when they started asking work crews questions.
“They clearly didn’t do any type of communication before we found them cutting down trees,” Toal said.
The neighborhood held a meeting this week and Georgia Power said they plan to meet with the Howell Station Association this month.
In a statement shared with Channel 2 Action News, Georgia Power said they understand the neighbors’ concerns and will work to minimize disruption, saying “we will address residents’ questions directly; until that time, all tree clearing activities have been paused.”
Neighbors told Gehlbach they want to talk with Georgia Power about their options and to see if they’ll reconsider, reroute, or bury the lines.
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