Brantley County Manager Joey Cason says many of the options presented at a Town Hall meeting by Georgia’s 1st Congressional District candidate Matt Day have never been proposed to the commission.
Day, a Republican candidate seeking to succeed Buddy Carter for the Congressional District 1 post, was the guest speaker at Waynesville Baptist Church Monday, February 9 and presented 10 options for discussion centered around landfill/data center scenario Day met prior to the Town Hall meeting with Cason and Commissioner Randy Davison, according to the county manger, to get some insight concerning the landfill and possible sale of the property for a potential data center.
“There is not a current application for a data center,” said Cason, “because this is not currently a permitted use based on the County Land Use Ordinance. The Board of Commissioners did consider adding data centers as a Special Exception and had a public hearing (Tuesday, January 20) concerning this. A decision has been deferred and no vote has been taken.”
Since the meeting, the commission formed a citizens committee to work with Loretta Hylton to draft a local ordinance concerning data centers.
Hylton is a past president and board member of the Georgia Association of Zoning Administrators and a member of the association since 1985. She has extensive experience with writing zoning ordinances, comprehensive plans and hazard mitigation plans.
“This process has begun,” Cason said.
There is currently a 19page proposal which has been drafted for an amendment to the Land Use Ordinance adding Section 4-1.2.
Cason added Brantley Development Partner, LAC owns the land between Waynesville and Atkinson on both sides of Hwy. 82.
“The County never owned this land,” he said. “It was owned by International Paper Company and then two other owners. However, the County offered to buy the land in the past from the current owners (BCDP) and pay a fair profit to the Partners.
“The County has no options and the current choice is the landfill. The County does not have any recourse to stop a landfill, that is the only current option.”
The County Commission battled in both State and Federal Court to keep the current owners from getting a landfill permit. Ultimately, the case went all the way to the Georgia Supreme Court, and was not heard.
The Development Partners have an active permit for a landfill issued by the Georgia Enviromental Protection Division (EPD).
“The County has been approached by prospective buyer(s) to consider doing away with the landfill permit and putting a data center and a sand mine on the property,” added Cason.
With the County not owning the property, the other options Day mention for a possible Logistic Centers — no contact; no Advanced Manufacturing has approached; no Bio Mass/Wood to Energy company has approached; no one has approached concerning conservation or wetland mitigation; the Federal Government has not approached concerning a Golden District Center; and, the current owners have not applied to a have a mixed use Industrial Park there.
