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Vine City residents protest proposed Georgia Power substation; ask council for help
Summary
Residents and local leaders told the City Council that Georgia Power notified them of plans to build a second substation near Vine City with a planned groundbreaking date; speakers urged the company and the city to relocate the project to a nonresidential site such as Centennial Yards or the Gulch.
Residents from Vine City and surrounding neighborhoods told the City Council during public comment that Georgia Power plans to place a second electromagnetic substation near Northside Drive, two blocks from school sites and near residential blocks, and that community members object to the siting.
Former councilmember and community leader Abel Mabel Thomas said Georgia Power had “been working on this situation” for two years and did not consult the neighborhood, and that the company told community members it would hold a groundbreaking on June 5. Thomas said the area is adjacent to the Gulch and Centennial Yards and asked why the company would not locate the facility in a commercial/industrial area. “Pick another neighborhood,” Thomas said. “We don't want it.”
Speakers raised health and safety concerns, soil-contamination risks and the proximity of the proposed site to school properties. One public commenter said Bethune Elementary and a gifted school used to be in the area and emphasized impacts to children.
Organizers described an upcoming protest and an ongoing Georgia Power Accountability Campaign (GPAC). Thomas asked the council to withhold any public funds or support that would facilitate the siting and asked elected officials to hold the utility accountable. He noted rate increases and expressed concern that Vine City residents would not benefit from economic gains tied to the project.
City council members who heard the comments acknowledged the remarks and said they would relay community concerns to staff and to the larger process. No formal action on the Georgia Power siting was recorded at the meeting; speakers said they planned recurring community demonstrations until the company changes course.
