The Liberty County Development Authority and a firm looking to develop a massive tract adjoining its Tradeport East have reached an agreement on potential capacity for the LCDA’s planned wastewater treatment plant.
Laurel View Properties plans to build a mixed-use development on 5,000 acres bordered by Islands Highway, Interstate 95 and Laurel View River, with up to 3,000 homes built on the tract.
“It’s very important for the county’s future economic development,” LCDA attorney Kelly Davis said. “With respect to the LCDA, it will allow us to finance expansion of water and wastewater systems, which is the lifeblood of any industrial development.”
The LCDA is working on a wastewater treatment plant that could handle up to 3 million gallons per day, once completed. The cost of the plant has been pegged at $32.5 million.
Plans for such a plant were started nearly 20 years ago, but the Great Recession put those on hold, LCDA CEO Brynn Grant said.
“We send our wastewater now to Midway, and Midway has no more capacity,” she said.
Capacity agreements, such as the one the LCDA has reached with Laurel View, help manage resources but also serve as a financing tool, Davis said.
“This is an important milestone in our development,” he said.
A portion of the future wastewater capacity will be allocated to the project in phases.
“We’re not going to bite off all the 3 million gallons per day in one swoop,” Davis said.
Travis Stringer, president and CEO of Foram Group, said the plant is needed for his group’s plans.
“I can’t stress enough, for our project, how important this infrastructure project is,” he said.
The proposed treatment plant also is crucial for the east part of the county, Stringer added.
Large-scale development in mind
Liberty County commissioners approved a rezoning request last April to turn 209 acres adjacent to Tradeport East from industrial to residential. Those 209 acres also are next to Foram Group’s planned unit development that has been in the works for years.
The entire tract is about 1,500 acres and will be home to a variety of homes, along with commercial and other development.
“We have been working day and night, meeting with the development authority, engineers, land planners and home builders,” Stringer told LCDA members.
The total number of homes being considered for the property is about 2,800, with 300 in a pod on one side and 2,500 in another pod on the other side. Stringer said the development also will work in hospitality amenities and even some medical facilities.
There also will be a commercial marina and a public boat ramp. There will be trails and parks throughout the property, and plans call for the pods to be connected to the marina village.
“A big aspect is to maintain public access to the river and the marsh. It’s a big part of this project,” Stringer said.
The homes will be a variety of prices, with some entry-level homes among the mix and there will be what are known as executive- style homes, with much higher prices.
Grant said the lack of executive homes in the county has been an issue.
“We have lost a lot of executives because there are not options,” she said.
More users on tap?
The proposed treatment plant, and the Laurel View development, could open the door for the county to take advantage of its northernmost interstate exit, officials said.
“We see this as a great opportunity to move forward,” LCDA member and Liberty County Commission Chairman Donald Lovette said.
Grant called exit 76 the county’s “front porch” and pointed to the economic opportunity that is coming down the interstate.
“It could really expand our tax base; that benefits everyone who lives in the county,” she said. “Pulling people in off that interstate and spending money could really, really benefit us all. The opportunity is great and the limitation is great. That’s why this project was proposed 15 years ago. It’s why we are working so hard to try to help everybody understand.”
Lovette added that a countywide retreat identified exit 76’s development as a priority.
“You need infrastructure. Infrastructure is the issue,” he said. “We need our federal partners to help us out but we need to get in line and we need to have some skin in the game.”
Lack of infrastructure, such as water and wastewater treatment, has been detrimental to the LCDA previously.
“In the past, we’ve had to turn away manufacturers because of their water and wastewater needs,” Davis said.
While the LCDA awaits audits on previous fiscal years, it can’t qualify for financing from government sources, such as Georgia Environmental Financing Authority loads or Economic Development Authority grants. But its auditors are expected to deliver its 2022 audit later this month, with the 2023 audit coming in June and the 2024 audit in August.
“We will be up to date and ready to apply for any loans or financing,” Grant said.
The LCDA also remains in contact with a financial consulting firm, but getting the audits back is critical.
“We are continuing to investigate every possible opportunity for the best way to finance a water reclamation facility,” Grant said. “There are many options.”
Among those, she added, are capacity reservation agreements, such as the one reached with Foram Group.
Grant also said the LCDA is trying to be open about the treatment plant plans and its effects.
“We are doing our best to educate everyone as best we can with sound science and engineering,” she said. “We are moving through our process as transparently and proactively as we can.”
As the process moves along, the LCDA will host public meetings and currently has a frequently asked questions tab on its home page, comegrow. global.
“Our intention has been to share every step of the way what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and how,” Grant said.