February 17, 2025
The Smith household inherited 600 acres of land within the space from their grandfather within the Twenties.
A primarily-Black household in Sparta, Georgia, continues the battle to maintain their land after a choose dominated {that a} railroad firm may take it.
Though Blaine and Diane Smith refuse to promote their land, a Georgia superior courtroom choose dominated on Feb. 4 that Sandersville Railroad may seize 11 acres to develop tracks working by means of the world. Previous to this ruling, the Smiths have fought towards Sandersville’s plans for years.
Sandersville Railroad, a white-owned firm, has plans to construct a 4.5-mile rail spur by means of the traditionally Black city of Sparta. The corporate initiated eminent area to proceed with buying the land, as long as the unique homeowners are justly compensated. The Smiths, nevertheless, refuse to promote.
“We’ve needed to battle to maintain this land. It’s all the time someone coming in attempting to bamboozle you out of it,” Blaine informed Capital B Information. “There’s folks attempting to return hunt on it and trespass on it. It’s gonna be simpler for them to do this if we put a railroad by means of the center of it. … You requested me, “What issues trouble me about it?” I imply, all the pieces bothers me about it.”
In reality, the household inherited 600 acres from their grandfather within the Twenties. Staying inside their possession, the land fed livestock and grew crops, and in addition housed generations of Smiths.
Nevertheless, the choose upheld a earlier determination by the Georgia Public Service Fee affirming the general public necessity of the rail spur. Though it might lower by means of land the place Blaine vegetation timber with potential additional injury, the tracks would join industries and open a channel of commerce by means of center Georgia.
The Smiths refuse to again down for the promote to happen. Nevertheless, Sandersville’s consultant has provided to “re-engage” in discussions about how the spur may benefit the landowners.
“We perceive a few of the property owned by the Smith household is particular to them given their heritage, and we remorse that they might have felt that our preliminary provides, based mostly on unbiased value determinations, weren’t satisfactory,” mentioned Benjamin Tarbutton III, president of Sandersville Railroad. “We’d welcome the chance to re-engage in significant conversations about how each the landowners and Hancock County can profit from the Hanson Spur.”
Regardless of their proposed efforts, this gesture doesn’t impress the Smiths.
“We’re going to battle until we are able to’t battle anymore,” Diane mentioned. “I don’t wish to go away any stone unturned. My grandmother used to say, ‘no stone unturned’, so you retain unturning and unturning.”
Represented by The Institute for Justice, the households hope to enchantment the choice with the Georgia Supreme courtroom.
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