ATLANTA — A judge has denied a request by the state of Georgia and a local development agency to force six Morgan County property owners to pay over $337,000 in legal fees after they unsuccessfully sued to block the construction of an electric vehicle plant.
Morgan County Superior Court Judge Stephen Bradley ruled that the lawsuits filed by the property owners against the zoning for the Rivian Automotive plant were not frivolous.
He emphasized that awarding legal fees to the government could deter citizens from challenging government actions in court.
JoEllen Artz, a leader of the opposition group No2Rivian, praised the ruling, stating that it prevents citizens from being ‘silenced by Goliath.’
The Rivian Automotive plant, which is expected to employ 7,500 people, is set to be built on a 2,000-acre site near Social Circle, Georgia. The groundbreaking ceremony for the $5 billion project is scheduled soon.
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Some local residents oppose the plant, citing concerns that it will negatively impact the rural environment and potentially harm drinking-water wells. The land was transferred to the state by a joint development authority, which includes several county governments, to avoid a contentious rezoning battle.
Judge Bradley noted that the land transfers appeared to be designed to circumvent local opposition to the Rivian project.
However, he ruled against the plaintiffs, acknowledging that their lawsuits raised ‘new and unanswered questions of law’ regarding the state’s immunity from being sued.
The development authority argued that it should recover attorney fees because the lawsuits were attempts to delay progress, but Bradley found that the plaintiffs did not act in bad faith.
The state and local governments have stated that the ruling does not affect the status of the Rivian project, and they remain focused on moving forward with construction to benefit Georgia taxpayers.
Information for this story from the Associated Press.
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