No data center, solar farm nor mini storage locations will be allowed on the Industrial Park parcel
NAHUNTA — “A data center, solar farm, nor a mini storage facility will be located on the industrial park land for at least a minimum of 20 years.”
Development Authority Executive Director Mel Baxter stated what can’t be located on a 102.98acre parcel on Pembers Road in the Industrial Park by a OneGeorgia Authority grant during the Wednesday, June 24 Public Hearing in front of the Brantley County Commission for a rezoning request.
The property, which was zoned Agriculture, is located on Pembers Road in the Industrial Park adding to the remaining 11 available acres for development. It was purchased November 2, 2022, from TimberVest Partners III Georgia, LLC and never rezoned to Heavy Industrial.
Baxter, Vice Chair Blake Bishop and board member Gary Johns were in attendance on behalf of the Development Authority.
There were 28 residents and non-residents in attendance with five in favor of the rezoning and 22 against. One was undecided.
Commissioners present for the hearing were Chairman Skipper Harris, and commissioners Randy Davison and Hal Herndon. Commissioners Brian Hendrix and Andy Riggins were not present. Brantley County Manager Joey Cason oversaw the proceedings.
“The next step for us is to make a recommendation,” Cason told the trio of commissioners. “The Planning Commission and staff recommend we move forward and rezone the property from that Agriculture to Heavy Industrial.”
It was Herndon, who continued his motion while someone in attendance tried to interrupt, to rezone parcel number B048-108A from Agriculture to Heavy Industrial. Davison seconded the motion with no discussion before the unanimous vote.
The passage came at the end of the nearly 35minute meeting.
Development Auth. explains rezoning need Following the delivery by Cason of the Public Hearing’s procedures, the Development Authority representatives spoke first using nine minutes, 40 seconds of their alloted 10-minute time frame without complaining about the restrictions.
“Our target markets are automobile, automobile suppliers, aerospace groups, defense groups, timber production and processing industries, logistics, warehousing, and distribution centers,” Baxter said after Johns and Bishop spoke. “The state has a list of businesses looking to relocate and they know what we’re targeting.”
Baxter stated through “Project Heather,” an international group in the power coating business, is interested in 15 acres to build a 77,000-square foot building.
“This is the type of business we want because their needs fit us,” he said before referencing the lack of infrastructure currently at the property site. “They need no water in production, have light wastewater, no need of natural gas and they use three to four megawatts of power ... that’s a great fit.
“It will create 160 jobs — 100 jobs in the first phase and 60 in the second phase. The county wants us to create jobs and to create money spent in this community to build our tax base up. That’s the reason we purchased this property.”
Baxter shared the Development Authority had procured a OneGeorgia Authority grant from the Department of Community Affairs to get this property GRAD certified. GRAD (Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development) certified states potential sites are the exact acreage advertised, as well as infrastructure.
“Grad certification says, ‘Whatever we tell them we have, we have,’” explained Baxter. “It costs a lot of money to do that. So, we did apply for a OneGeorgia Authority grant. That grant states for rural site development projects only, the recipient certifies that a data center, solar farm, nor a mini storage facility will be located on the industrial park land for at least a minimum of 20 years.”
Johns opened by giving parameters of sites for the zoning of Heavy Industrial, according to Georgia and adopted county code.
“The purpose of this district (Heavy Industrial) shall be to provide and protect areas for those industrial uses which cannot comply with the regulations of light industrial district development,” Johns read from the code book. “It must be 500 feet from all residential districts and 200 feet from all agricultural districts.”
He added there are special exceptions with one being telecommunication towers. Another is heavy manufacturing which produces noise, odor, dust, flames, fire hazards, or other nuisance features which shall be set back not less than 500 feet from any Heavy Industrial district boundary.
Bishop stated the rezoning of the property was long overdue since the 2022 purchase.
“I wasn’t a part of the Development Authority at the time when it was bought,” Bishop stated. “We’ve applied for multiple grants to try and get the property ready to even go this route. Through the help of grants and this rezoning, we’re hoping to bring some new opportunities to Brantley County.”
Speakers opposed to rezoning request Those against the rezoning were not happy with their 10-minute time.
“How are we going to do our due diligence and our research when we have two days or a weekend and then a Monday to get the information of what this is all about?,” asked Tanya Tomanek, a member of the Citizens United for Brantley County’s Future. “We didn’t even know it was on the agenda until the three days prior. Can we be allowed to discuss amongst ourselves and have one designated speaker?”
“No ma’am,” answered Cason. “I’m going down this list of those who signed in. If someone does not want to speak, they can defer. The next person on the list will be called. We’ll keep going down the line until basically we have 10 minutes of a speaker.”
“They (Development Authority) knew what they were talking about and had the organization,” responded Tomanek. “We don’t have the ability to organize our events.”
Cason then called the first speaker, a Mr. Dunningan, who asked about increased utility infrastructures and if hydrological and other impact studies will be done. The county manager asked Baxter to respond.
“OREMC powers the Industrial Park so we have plenty of power for anything that goes in there right now,” responded Baxter. “With the GRAD certification, we have to get the engineering work done, the wetlands delineated, and we have to have the endangered species done.
“There are about four or five other things. All of that has to take place before we can get this certification, including noise pollution and others as well.”
Another just said she was “opposed.”
Satilla Riverkeeper Shannon Gregory asked about assurances and efforts for the approximately 30 acres of wetlands being protected.
“That’s back to part of the grant certification,” Baxter said. “We have to get our wetland delineation. Once it gets delineated, it tells us where these companies can build and what they can ... it’s protected.”
A gentleman asked about property value adjacent to the Industrial Park site.
“The tax assessor’s office appraises the property and assesses the property,” answered Cason.
“So you ain’t got no guarantee that our taxes is going to go sky high when they start developing on that property that’s right there,” responded the gentleman.
“No, sir,” replied Cason. “What I would think the residential property would not really rate any change. I don’t see any anticipation of the property skyrocketing.”
“If you rezone you’ll be going against an overwhelming community saying that they don’t want this,” said J.T. Flanders. “Y’all (commission) want to have a public hearing and dictate everything, the time and what we can talk about. Y’all don’t actually end up doing anything that we ask.”
Flanders, who earlier had a failed bid for a commission seat, said he’ll run again.
“I do plan to run again. I might not have won this past time, but I will run again, and one of your seats will be filled with my name,” he told commissioners before Cason told him to stay on topic.
“You guys have already done things against the trust of the community. Regardless of what you guys go through with or not, we’ve all shown up. We’ve taken a time out of our days to show you we don’t want you to rezone this land.
“If you guys agree to do it and vote against the will of the community, it will just be another check mark on the box for everything else that is against your guys’ names. We have enough agricultural land disappearing in our community.
“Do not rezone it for the purpose of entities that can easily fit in other land that does not have to be rezoned or impacted, especially when we have sensitive wetlands.”
A woman from Gainesville wearing a “Socialism is our Future” Tshirt said, “The vast majority of people here (22 of 28) are against this rezoning,” she offered. “I think you need to listen to the will of the people and actually reconsider what you’re proposing.”
Tomanek, who walked out earlier, returned to cover the last 45 seconds.
“I am totally against it,” she said. “The trust is gone. There’s other properties ... I guarantee you guys are going to change it to everything heavy industrial.”
Once the vote was taken and the meeting adjourned, Flanders had a few of those against the rezoning gathered around him when he was overheard saying, “We’re getting signatures and we only need 100 to recall the board.”
