Note: The agreement between the city of Richmond Hill and TerraPointe was approved by the council on Aug. 7. The public signing took place Aug. 21 in City Hall. Below is the story from the Aug. 7 council meeting when the agreement was reached.
The city of Richmond Hill and TerraPointe have reached an agreement to provide water and sewer services to Belfast Commerce Centre, the future site of a 900-acre industrial park located in South Bryan.
At the Aug. 7 regular meeting, the City Council approved 3-0 the agreement with TerraPointe, a real estate segment of Rayonier in charge of development of the park. Council member Jan Bass was absent.
Josh Fenn, executive director of the Development Authority of Bryan County, which has worked closely with the project, said Thursday the agreement is an exciting step forward for Bryan County.
“The Development Authority is very excited that this agreement has been reached,” he said. “This is another step in the process of bringing the Belfast Commerce Centre park online, and this agreement allows for us to offer a faster development timeline that we previously could offer for companies that are looking at this site.”
The agreement, which Mayor Harold Fowler said has been in the works for over two years, is a step toward the development of the South Bryan industrial park. The city will now supply Belfast Commerce Centre with water and sewer and TerraPointe will pay for the project.
The cost of clearing the land, installing the water and sewer lines and more is estimated by TerraPointe to be around $4 million. City Attorney Ray Smith also told the council what the project may cost the city during the meeting.
“I can’t tell you it’ll be entirely cost free for the city,” Smith said. “We will have some inspection personnel and some administrative costs as you would on any other development … but yes, the developer, under this agreement, is paying costs. Yes, the developer is paying fees.”
Fowler said he made it clear to TerraPointe representative Dan Camp that Richmond Hill residents would not pay for any of the water and sewer line. Camp echoed that sentiment.
Read more in the Aug. 11 edition of the News.