Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sites Utilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
EDA tells supervisors lack of large sites and electric capacity is costing Frederick County projects
Summary
EDA staff told the Board of Supervisors that limited electric capacity and a short supply of 200+-acre project-ready sites are top reasons prospective companies drop Frederick County from consideration; the board asked staff to return with site-readiness proposals in about six months.
Patrick Barber, executive director of the Frederick County Economic Development Authority, told supervisors the county's competitiveness is hampered by two related constraints: a small inventory of large, certified project-ready sites and limited electric capacity at potential sites.
Barber defined a typical certified or project-ready site as one with appropriate zoning, public marketing and utilities either in place or deliverable within 12 to 18 months. He said the EDA has pursued state site-certification programs and referenced the Virginia Business Ready Site Program grant tied to a local site effort. At the same time, Barber warned that many prospects are eliminated early in site selection because the county cannot quickly guarantee required electric service: "we don't have the power..." and later, "we're losing deals because of that." Those statements framed a major thread of the meeting.
Supervisors asked whether zoning overlays or pre-zoning would make parcels more attractive and whether the county could set timelines to return with a plan. The board requested staff explore overlay approaches, potential proffers and other public- private models and to return with options roughly six months out.
Board members asked about engaging electric providers; Barber said EDA staff are in regular conversations with utilities including FirstEnergy and Dominion but cautioned written commitments are rare. A supervisor also asked whether hard water is an obstacle for site attraction; Barber said companies typically manage hard water with treatment systems and did not recall recent deals cancelled solely for water hardness.
No formal vote was taken. The board directed staff to develop site-readiness options with clearer timelines and to report back for policy decisions.
