Howell Station residents say Georgia Power easement would expose homes to Fulton County Jail; company schedules May 13 open house

Dozens of residents of the Howell Station neighborhood told the Fulton County Board of Commissioners on May 7 that they oppose a proposed Georgia Power easement that would remove the tree buffer between homes and the Fulton County Jail and place two high-voltage transmission lines within feet of houses.

The residents’ complaints came during the meeting’s public-comment period and centered on what speakers described as a lack of notice and community outreach, preexisting approvals that did not reflect neighborhood opposition, and worry that the line would primarily serve a nearby data center rather than local power needs.

Why it matters: Neighbors said the planned line will remove a protective tree canopy that now separates homes from jail operations, increasing noise, light and safety concerns; they also said the easement would reduce property values and that the county’s public record for a March agenda item mischaracterized neighborhood feedback.

Residents described how they discovered…