In Re: Sandersville Railroad Company's Petition for Approval to Acquire Real Estate by Condemnation
The privately owned Sandersville Railroad Company is threatening to use eminent domain against property owners in a predominantly Black community in Sparta, Georgia, who have refused to sell portions of their land for a rail spur (a separate track that is connected to the main rail line).
The railroad company wants to lay tracks for a spur to serve a nearby quarry that is already a source of contention within the community. Currently living with the quarry’s vibrations and the sounds of trucks transporting rocks nearby, members of the community do not want a train running through their property or near their homes. To make matters worse, eminent domain is a leading cause of land loss and the loss of generational wealth in African American communities.
The °Ä²Ê¿ª½±â€™s Economic Justice team has been consulting with and supporting the community’s campaign against the railroad, including highlighting the issue on the °Ä²Ê¿ª½± website and in .
The °Ä²Ê¿ª½±â€™s clients were also featured in a mini-documentary by CBS News titled . The railroad has started condemnation proceedings before the Georgia Public Service Commission against property owners who are represented by counsel from the Institute for Justice.
The °Ä²Ê¿ª½± has intervened in the condemnation proceeding to represent the No Railroad in Our Community Coalition, an unincorporated association of impacted community members.