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 tree-clearing activity only after contractors began removing vegetation. “This item appeared on this board on March 19 with documentation stating that there was no opposition from the neighborhood,” said Jennifer Upton, who identified herself as a Howell Station homeowner. “That is unequivocally untrue.”

Sabrina Count, who said she lives two houses from Longley Avenue and can see the jail service entrance from her front porch, told commissioners: “If Georgia Power is allowed to remove the tree canopy and the brush that serves as a barrier between our homes and the jail, it will be an unbearable cacophony.” Count said the neighborhood learned of the project on April 15 when neighbors saw crews cutting trees.

Several speakers connected the proposed easement to power for QTS, a private data center site nearby. “These mission lines do not serve the community. They serve a private company,” said Arthur Toll, who told the board he found project documents and QTS marketing indicating the company advertises large on-site power capacity.

Georgia Power representative Misty Fernandez, introduced during the public-comment sequence, said the utility has a “very thorough process” for route selection and is following a stakeholder engagement plan. Fernandez said Georgia Power considers safety, existing land use, existing transmission corridors, environmental conditions, construction engineering and cost impacts when selecting a route. She said the company met with Howell Station leadership and scheduled an open house for May 13, 6–8 p.m., to provide more details.

“We have a community stakeholder engagement plan in place where we are working to follow up with each one of the residents who’ve reached out to us directly,” Fernandez said. “We appreciate the time.”

Multiple residents told the commission that Georgia Power and Fulton County had not contacted the neighborhood before crews began cutting trees, and several urged the board to insist on a reroute down Jefferson Street, which some speakers said already carries utility infrastructure and parcels owned by QTS. “If this is to feed QTS, then it should run on QTS’s property and just to echo the fact that it’s taking away the tree canopy is going to open us wide open to the jail,” said Sean Doyle, a Howell Station resident.

Board action and next steps: At the meeting commissioners did not vote on the easement; residents asked the board to intervene, and Georgia Power said it would hold the May 13 open house. Misty Fernandez said Georgia Power is responding individually to residents who have contacted the utility and that further engagement is planned. Residents called for the county to confirm the easement paperwork and community-notification records and, where appropriate, to consider requiring a reroute.

What to watch: The Georgia Power open house May 13 and any follow-up filings or requests related to the March agenda item. Residents said they will seek additional information through public records and ask the county to review how it documented neighborhood outreach.