Jones County commissioners removed a hurdle last week for the development of the Georgia Regional Industrial Park, a project that has been on the drawing board for more than three decades.

Commissioners voted unanimously at their Nov. 6 meeting to rezone the 972 acre industrial park property located off Highway 57 in the southern portion of the county from agricultural to general industrial at the request of the Development Authority of Jones County.

GRIP property was identified in the 1980s by Georgia Power and Oglethorpe Power as one of the region’s top development sites, and was selected by the independent firm of McCallum Sweeny Consulting as the number one potential site during the Central Georgia Regional Economic Development Summit this past March.

The rezoning was unanimously recommended for approval by the Jones County Planning and Zoning Commission who heard the petition Oct. 15.

Jones County’s Development Authority was reactived in 1999 and almost immediately began laying the groundwork for an industrial park with the promotion of Freeport, an exemption from property taxes levied on certain types of inventory held by businesses in the normal conduct of their operation, touted to attract industry.

Freeport was approved by voters in 2001.

Authority members are Frank Duke, Brick Nelson, Dottie Walker, Francis Adams, Mickey Parker, Alan Childs, and chairman Greg Mullis. Walker has the distinction of being the only member who has served on Jones County’s original and reactived authority.

The rezoning process took about 10 months to complete because of an impact study that was overlooked in the initial application and the discovery of a dumping site on the property.

“I am very pleased that the rezoning was approved and that this step is complete. I was also very pleased with the support for the project from so many different individuals and organizations, from our school board to our legislative delegation,” Mullis said. “I think that speaks to the efforts of PLAN and the team approach we have as a community of having a vision for where we want our community to go and then working together to reach our goals.”

Addressing the dump site is the next hurdle for the park’s development. The cleanup of the two acres containing the trash is considered a temporary roadblock but Mullis said it must be resolved. An environmental Phase I study on the property by Geotechnical and Environmental Consultants completed in June indicated the dump site would be a minor problem to correct, but once the excavation began, the depth of the trash, which appears to be household garbage from the 1960s – 1970s, and the full extent of the costs of removal were revealed.

The firm’s assessment of the site revealed no evidence of recognized environmental conditions other than the presence of dumping activity and that showed no visible signs of site contamination.

Mullis estimates the excavation will cost about $300,000 to complete and the Authority had $130,000 available for the cleanup. The major challenge is finding the funds for the cleanup, which were not allotted in the original development plan.

“We have already started on the next steps, primarily getting the necessary funding to complete the cleanup of the trash on the site and completing the entryway and signage for the park. We will also continue to work with the county commissioners to access options for sewage for the site.”

The price of the land was $2,700 per acre or approximately $2.6 million. The principal amount for the 2007 bond series is $3,250,000, and the closing for the sale took place Jan. 25.

The site of the industrial park is considered ideal by Development Authority members because utilities are close and it is on a four-lane highway. The tract is also near I-16 and the proposed route of the Fall Line Freeway.

Mullis said Norfolk Southern lines go directly to Savannah which makes the rail access even more important. He also explained that the original location of the entrance to the industrial park has been reconsidered because of safety concerns of residents in the area.

“We did our best to address all of the questions and concerns raised by those in the community about the development of the park through this zoning process,” Mullis emphasized. “I would encourage anyone with either concerns or ideas to please communicate with us. This park is for all of Jones County and will benefit everyone.”