Economic development seeks $40,000 to certify Heath Springs as 'Palmetto' ready site; aims for larger grant next year

Lancaster County economic development requested funding to finish due‑diligence and preparation work to make county‑owned land at Heath Springs ready for industrial marketing through the state Palmetto certified‑site program.

Economic development officials said getting Heath Springs through site evaluations (phase‑1 environmental, wetlands delineation, endangered species and similar reports) would cost about $37,000 for the initial site; the department asked for $40,000 to complete the Palmetto process for that site and asked for an additional $40,000 (total up to $80,000) to evaluate one more potential site. The department said prior grant applications were declined partially because the state reviewers said the county had not advanced site readiness enough to demonstrate commitment.

Why it matters: having shovel‑ready, certified industrial sites makes a jurisdiction more competitive when site selectors and companies are looking to move quickly. Economic development staff said certification would also strengthen applications for state grant funding they anticipate pursuing.

Council response: Council members asked clarifying questions about past site‑readiness efforts (including Duke and other programs) and whether the county had done comparable work for the air‑rail park. Economic development staff said prior efforts had disadvantages, including out‑of‑date information or studies that showed the sites would require large mitigation costs.

Next steps: If council funds the work, staff will complete the Heath Springs Palmetto certification and then solicit proposals to study any additional sites council wants to include in the county’s ready‑site inventory; the department will use completed work to support future grant applications.