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Camden County OKs intergovernmental agreements and bonds to advance Coastal Georgia Commerce Park
Summary
The board approved intergovernmental agreements enabling SPLOST and revenue bonds to fund road, water, sewer and rail access for a new 50-acre Coastal Georgia Commerce Park, with JDA planning additional acreage and pursuing state and federal grants.
The Camden County Board of Commissioners voted to approve intergovernmental agreements and revenue bond arrangements to fast-track infrastructure for a proposed Coastal Georgia Commerce Park, an economic development project led by the Joint Development Authority.
The JDA presented a plan to acquire 50 acres with an option on an additional 100 upland acres off Harriet's Bluff Road (near Highway 17). The project calls for an access road, water and sewer extensions, and a relocated rail crossing. The authority requested county concurrence that will allow SPLOST 9 funds and revenue bonds to flow to the JDA for portions of land acquisition and construction.
James Conflin of the JDA told commissioners the authority negotiated a purchase for the initial 50-acre parcel and has begun preliminary engineering for road, rail and utilities. The JDA seeks a $5.3 million revenue bond funded from its product-development budget, a $3.0 million SPLOST-backed loan to accelerate the access road, and applied for grants (a $1.0 million seed/state economic infrastructure development pre-application and a $2.5 million Georgia site-development grant) to reduce county contributions.
Commissioners approved an intergovernmental agreement to allow SPLOST 9 funds to be used on the project, then approved IGAs to enable a SPLOST-backed revenue bond (revenue bond A) and a product-development revenue bond (revenue bond B). County staff and JDA representatives emphasized that grant funding is competitive and not guaranteed; the JDA said grant decisions are expected in the fall and that any grant-funded work would require completion by 2028 under grant rules.
Supporters said the Commerce Park is intended to attract large commercial and industrial tenants by offering a consolidated, grad-certified site with rail and highway access. Several commissioners asked about traffic implications for Harriet's Bluff Road and possible school-zone impacts; the JDA said Highway 17 improvements (decel/turn lanes and future signalization, coordinated with DOT) would be required as traffic grows.
The board’s approvals formalize the county’s concurrence with the JDA’s financing plan and allow the authority to proceed with contracted work and bonding steps. Next steps identified by the JDA include completing the preliminary engineering report (PER), finalizing grant applications, and beginning road and utility construction as funds allow.
The board took the votes on the IGAs and bonds during the meeting; no additional public vote on the underlying land purchase was recorded during the session.
