HR97: HR97 Property; conveyance of certain state owned property; authorize

Georgia's State Properties Commission manages land the state owns or leases, and state law requires the General Assembly to approve most sales, leases, or exchanges of that property. This resolution bundles together roughly 20 unrelated real estate transactions the Commission has requested across the state. The deals include selling small road-widening strips to counties and the Department of Transportation, leasing radio and cell tower space to Southern Linc, exchanging a Department of Community Supervision office in Clarke County, amending a technical college ground lease in Effingham County, settling a marshland ownership dispute in Glynn County by conveying about 4,086 acres to Glynn New Hope LLC for mitigation banking in exchange for a share of future credits, and removing a public-use restriction on former armory land in Sumter County. Each authorization expires three years after the resolution takes effect, and it becomes law once the Governor signs it or lets it become law without signature.

• Authorizes the State Properties Commission to sell small parcels of state land in Bryan, Fulton, Habersham, Hall, Henry, and Colquitt counties, mostly for road projects or fair market value.
• Authorizes leases of state owned communication towers to Southern Linc in Hall, Miller, Sumter, and Tattnall counties for 25 year terms at fair market value.
• Authorizes a land exchange with Mallory and Evans Development, LLC for a Department of Community Supervision office in Clarke County and a ground lease amendment for a technical college parking lot in Effingham County.
• Settles a decades old ownership dispute over roughly 4,086 acres of Glynn County marshland by letting the state quitclaim its interest to Glynn New Hope LLC for a wetland mitigation bank, in exchange for 20 percent of future mitigation credit sales.
• Lifts a public purpose use restriction on about 11.5 acres of former Sumter County armory land so the county can buy it at fair market value.
• Sets a three year expiration on every authorization in the resolution and requires each conveyance to be recorded with the relevant county's superior court.

County governments in Bryan, Cherokee, Colquitt, Habersham, Hall, Henry, Sumter, and Tattnall; the Georgia Department of Transportation; the Technical College System of Georgia; the Department of Corrections, Public Safety, and Community Supervision; the City of Atlanta; and private parties such as Southern Linc and Glynn New Hope LLC.

These transactions let counties finish road projects, let a telecom company keep radio equipment on state towers, and resolve a long standing marshland ownership dispute in Glynn County, but each depends on legislative approval since Georgia law requires the General Assembly to sign off on most state property deals.

• Section 2 sells the Bryan County fire tower parcel to Bryan County for $5,634.00 to allow a roundabout road project.
• Sections 43 through 49 authorize the Glynn County marshland settlement, letting Glynn New Hope LLC develop a mitigation bank while returning 20 percent of credit sales to the state and reverting unused land after up to 25 years.
• Section 69 sets a $229,180.00 total payment from the Department of Transportation for a Hall County parcel and easements near Lanier Technical College.
• Section 81 sets a $67,107.00 payment from Henry County for land and easements near Southern Crescent Technical College.
• Sections 92 through 100 remove the public purpose restriction on Sumter County armory land so the county can buy roughly 11.561 acres at fair market value.
• Section 111 makes the resolution effective once the Governor signs it or it becomes law without his signature.
• Nearly every article sets a three year expiration on its conveyance or lease authorization and requires recording the deed with the relevant county superior court.

1. 2025-05-14Effective Date 2025-05-14
2. 2025-05-14Act 364
3. 2025-05-14House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-25House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
6. 2025-03-11Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
7. 2025-03-11Senate Third Read (Senate)
8. 2025-02-27Senate Read Second Time (Senate)

• Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)Primary sponsor
• Emory Dunahoo (R, HD-031)
• Michael Smith (D, HD-041)
• William Werkheiser (R, HD-157)
• Scott Hilton (R, HD-048)
• Ed Harbison (D, SD-015)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 11, 2025

   166 yea, 0 nay (6 not voting, 8 absent)

   Adopt: House Vote #23

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 11, 2025

   49 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 6 absent)

   Adoption By Substitute: Senate Vote #225

3. PassedHouse voteMarch 25, 2025

   162 yea, 0 nay (11 not voting, 7 absent)

   Agree To Senate Substitute: House Vote #312

• state property sales
• land conveyances
• marshland mitigation banking
• communication tower leases
• county land deals