Commission gets economic development information
By Jim Cox

The Clarke County Commission attended to several items relating to industrial development Tuesday, including the naming of the new access road going into the North Clarke Industrial Park where the new Louisiana Pacific plant is being built and the setting of prices for the remaining acreage in the park.

Economic developer Debra Bolen told commissioners that the new access road is nearly completed and needs to be named. There was a little discussion, with some suggesting North Clarke Industrial Road and North Clarke Park Road. Commissioner Rhondell Rhone offered that industrial needed to be in the name and then some suggested that North Clarke Industrial Road might be too long for a road sign. The suggestion of abbreviating "industrial" to "IND" was offered.

Commissioner Elma Averett said the full name wouldn't be too long and offered "North Clarke Industrial Road," adding, "and spell industrial out so people will know what it is."

Other commissioners agreed.

Commissioner Rhone offered that some type of additional signage at the entrance to the park is needed to promote it, perhaps with a layout of available lots shown.

Bolen said there are 365 available acres in the park and said commissioners needed to set a per acre price so that it can be promoted. The full value of the acreage purchased was $1.67 million, or $4,600 per acre. Comparative prices for industrial lots in the area are $10,000 per acre and she suggested a listing price of $7,500 per acre with that being negotiable.

After some discussion, commissioners agreed to the $7,500 price.

Commissioners also agreed to sell four acres in the Grove Hill industrial park (near the airport) to Nicholas Gibson who wants to build a body shop and collision repair shop there. The price is $5,400 per acre and is based on what the county paid for the property. Gibson said he would employ five or six people.

Bolen said the City of Jackson is working with a company that wants to locate there but the usual state incentives won't apply to the business. She said Clarke County was designated as an Enterprise Zone in 1987 and can offer such incentives but never has.

Up to 10,000 acres can be zoned for Enterprise Zone development but only a little over 100 acres have been so designated.

She suggested the acreage being looked at be zoned an Enterprise Zone and that other incentives permissible by law be permitted.

A resolution was passed authorizing such.

Gulf Lumber of Mobile is reopening the old Boise sawmill as Gulf Lumber-Jackson, LLC but it also does not meet all the requirements for incentives because the mill had not been closed longer than six months. was agreed that county attorney Bruce Wilson look into what the county and municipalities could offer.

Wilson said the incentives would not go beyond the allowable, such as 10-year non-school tax exemptions and sales tax exemptions for capital improvements.

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