Commisson offers support to creation of industrial park

By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
The proposed creation of a new Morgan County Industrial Park in the I-65 corridor from Priceville to Falkville got a thumbs up from the Morgan County Commission on Tuesday.
The governing body approved unanimously a resolution in support of a local legislative act that would establish boundaries for the corridor, authorize the formation of a governing body and provide funding for land and development costs with TVA payments in lieu of taxes paid to Morgan County and its municipalities.
The idea for the project surfaced in 2003 after a land use study for the interstate corridor was conducted by a Nashville engineering firm. It targeted Priceville, Hartselle and Falkville as having land masses either inside their corporate limits or nearby as prime land for future commercial and industrial development. Subsequently, elected officials held meetings to promote the idea of establishing an economic development project in the interstate corridor similar to the Mallard Fox Creek Industrial Park in Decatur. Initial study and planning for the park was done under the leadership and expertise of MCEDA. The park would have a financial plan similar to Mallard Fox. It would involve the participation of county government as well as that of all of the municipalities in the county.
A local authorization bill has already been introduced in the legislature and has the support of the Morgan County legislative delegation.
It proposes that the I-65 industrial corridor begin at the Morgan and Limestone County line, north of Priceville, and end at the Cullman County line south of Falkville. It would extend five miles east and west on either side of I-65.
The commission acted on other matters as follows: