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County approves $4.2 million for 'mega' industrial park
Wednesday, October 8, 2008 9:31 AM EDT
3,200-acre industrial park proposed off Berry Hill Road
By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune Editor
The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors voted 5-2 Monday to approve $4.2 million for a proposed 3,200-acre "mega" industrial park off Berry Hill Road.
The industrial park is being developed with Danville through the Regional Industrial Facilities Authority, and is expected to cost an estimated $13 million, with the county and city splitting the cost as well as any future revenue.
The region is hoping to attract a large industry such as an automobile manufacturing plant, several supervisors said.
The project, however, was sharply criticized by Callands-Gretna District Supervisor Fred Ingram.
"Let's get real," said Ingram. "Automobile factories are closing and this is not the time to be adding more taxes. How much is it going to cost? I can't vote for this."
Citing the recent "economic chaos," Ingram urged supervisors to put the Berry Hill project on hold.
"This is not the time to be building a massive industrial park on the North Carolina line," he said. "We're crazy if we vote for this."
Ingram stormed out of the last meeting after the board voted down $700,000 to complete the Gretna Industrial Park.
Chairman Coy Harville threatened to have a sheriff's deputy escort Ingram out of Monday night's meeting if he didn't stop interrupting other board members.
The additional funding for Gretna would have come from the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission, which is funding a large part of the Berry Hill project.
The county recently applied for $3 million in tobacco funds for the regional industrial park.
Dan River District Supervisor James Snead defended the mega park, pointing out it will be the largest industrial site in three states and has been endorsed Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley.
"If we let this lay and drop it, we might miss the boat," said Snead, noting the region lost a Nissan plant several years ago because it didn't have a large industrial site ready.
Tunstall District Supervisor Tim Barber agreed.
"The county is being proactive instead of reactive," said Barber. "The county is trying to create jobs - not hundreds but thousands. This is a huge investment. We can grow or we can sit still and dry up."
Harville said the board has to look to the future.
"I know economic times are bad," said the chairman, "but we need to move forward."
Chatham-Blairs District Supervisor Henry Davis and Banister District Supervisor William Pritchett joined Harville, Barber, and Snead in voting for the project.
Ingram and Staunton River District Supervisor Marshall Ecker voted no.
Davis said he's keeping his fingers crossed.
"I'm just going to hope and pray something comes in there," he said.
tim.davis@chathamstartribune.com
434-432-2791
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