Rivian meeting draws residents seeking answers

By CNN Newsource

Published January 19, 2022 6:28 AM

By Alice Queen

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Georgia (Rockdale Citizen) — Hundreds of people turned out Tuesday night for a public information meeting about Rivian Automotive’s plan to build a massive assembly and battery plant in Morgan and Walton counties. Some people got answers to their questions; others were told their questions would best be answered by Rivian representatives at an upcoming meeting. And in some cases, the answer was simply wait and see.

Regardless of the answers, most people appeared to be no more accepting of the massive impending economic development project at the end of the meeting than they were when they arrived at Social Circle Middle School.

Rivian has committed to a $5 billion investment, the largest single economic development project in Georgia history. At full capacity, the company plans to employ 7,500 workers and produce up to 400,000 vehicles per year. Construction could begin this year, with production projected to begin in 2024.

“We are going to fight this thing until Rivian says they don’t want it anymore,” said Rutledge resident John Artz, who bought 4 acres and moved to the area five years ago.

Other attendees vowed that they will be present when the Walton County, Morgan County and Social Circle planning boards take up Rivian’s request to rezone 2,000 acres from agricultural to industrial. Shane Short, executive director of the Development Authority of Walton County, said the rezonings are one of the next steps in the approval process for the Rivian development. Short said if the rezonings don’t go through, that could potentially put a halt to the development.

The planning board meetings are coming up in February. Once the planning boards decide on a recommendation, the rezoning requests will go before the respective boards of commissioners in each county and the Social Circle City Council for a final determination in March. The company hopes to begin work on the property later in March.

Several residents said they had moved to rural Walton and Morgan counties to escape the kind of development Rivian represents. Keith Wilson said he fled the congestion generated by the development of Truist Park and The Battery in Cobb County two years ago and bought 17 acres in Morgan County. Now he’s within 3 miles of the proposed Rivian development.

“We will be at the planning commission meetings,” he said.

Among residents’ chief concerns are the lack of information about the recruitment process and the potential impacts on infrastructure and the environment. Short said the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission is conducting a Development of Regional Impact strudy; the state has hired consultants to study the impact the development will have on the watershed and aquifers; air quality will be monitored by the state Environmental Protection Division; and the Georgia Department of Transportation will address the impact on roadways. He said a new interchange has been proposed at Interstate 20 and Mill Pond Road to help handle the increase in traffic.

“The state Department of Transportation has committed to assisting the counties with road improvements that might be needed,” said Short.

In response to complaints about the lack of advance notice about the project, Short said local officials were required to sign non-disclosure agreements as part of the recruitment process. He said the project was brought to the JDA six months ago by the state and is part of Gov. Kemp’s Electric Mobility Initiative.

Short said there was no intention to hide the project from the public, but economic development recruitment almost always involves non-disclosure agreements.

“That’s just the way business works in a capitalistic society … and it’s the same everywhere in every community,” he said.

Residents also questioned where Rivian’s suppliers will be located and what the impact will be on area communities and schools, questions that can’t be fully answered yet.

Rivian has its sights set on 2,000 acres now known as Stanton Springs North, a development of the JDA. About 670 acres are owned by the JDA. Once all the studies are completed and the rezonings approved, the JDA will acquire the balance of the property from private land owners.

One of those private owners is Alan Verner, who served for decades as chairman of the JDA until last year when he resigned to avoid a conflict of interest. Short said Verner was never included in the JDA’s discussions of the Rivan land sale and there was no impropriety in those negotiations. His comments drew skeptical laughter from Tuesday night’s crowd.

“I’m just telling you,” said Short. “You don’t have to believe me; you don’t have to like it.”

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.