Caswell County staff asked the Board of Commissioners for consensus to pursue Golden Leaf Foundation grant funding to pay for due diligence on one of two county-owned industrial sites, with Pelham identified as the preferred initial site.

County staff said the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, the NC Department of Commerce, Piedmont Electric Cooperative and Golden Leaf all advised that due diligence on a single site is the next practical step before site development. Golden Leaf can award up to $50,000 for due diligence and up to $1,500,000 for site development (not for shell-building construction). Dewberry engineer David Ross estimated due-diligence costs at $71,850; if Golden Leaf funds $50,000, the county would need to budget the remaining $21,850.

Staff recommended engaging a grant writer, Joyce French, at a $5,000 fee to prepare a Golden Leaf application; the economic-development budget has funds available to cover that cost. Staff also noted a boundary survey for the Yanceyville site was quoted at $12,000, but that Golden Leaf would cover such a survey if submitted and awarded as part of a due-diligence application.

Because of recent highway access and local project activity at Pelham, staff recommended Pelham as the starting site and said Golden Leaf is likely to consider the county a competitive applicant. The board gave consensus for staff to proceed with the grant proposal and to include the remainder of due-diligence costs in the FY2026 budget if the county pursues the full project.

No formal vote was taken; staff will prepare the application and return with budget details as needed.