Georgia industrial park, rail spur to create jobs

An area that had emanated objectionable odors could produce the sweet smell of commercial success along Bill Carruth Parkway, according to the Times-Georgian in Carrolton, Ga. Paulding's Board of Commissioners voted last week to transfer about 130 acres formerly used as sewage treatment plant spray fields to the Paulding County Industrial Building Authority, which will plan, design, construct and market an industrial park. The site across from the Water System building on the parkway is served by rail, and "rail spur projects have done well," said Blake Swafford, director of both the IBA and Paulding County Regional Airport.

Swafford said county
officials have been meeting with Norfolk Southern representatives for four
months and that the railroad company has developed a concept plan for the site.

"They think it’s highly
marketable," said Swafford. Fuel prices affect trucking costs, so "a lot of
heavy industry is going to rail," he said.

With a permit for sewer
plant treated discharge into streams, the spray fields will no longer be
needed.

"Today there’s no inventory
of rail access in the county," said Swafford, who praised the efforts of the
county attorney, Water System and county administrator (Mike Jones). Commission
Chairman David Austin said Jones in the past week had been contacted by a
potential industrial park business.

The park "is a fantastic
opportunity to put high-paying jobs in Paulding County," said Jones at the
commission’s Aug. 25 work session. "We’re excited about the opportunity. This
is one-of-a-kind in Paulding County."

Jones said the corridor is "one
of the busiest rail sections between Atlanta and Chattanooga." He said he was
meeting several days later with a "large-scale refrigeration company that needs
rail access.

One business might have
primary access to the rail, while other companies in the park could also load
off and on from railroad cars.

More will be known when the
IBA and Norfolk Southern develop plan details.

In a related matter, the
board amended its contract with Heath and Lineback engineering firm to add
$134,140, bringing the total contract amount to $330,405 for the widening and
reconstruction of the parkway to accommodate the rail spur project.
Transportation Department Director Scott Greene said there would be economy of
savings by continuing the four-laning project at the hospital site near U.S.
278 southward. With the new project comes "the opportunity to build another
bridge," he said.

Austin said 1.4 miles of
four lanes would then serve both the medical facilities and the industrial
park.

Jones said the county would
be reimbursed for all expenses when the industrial park land is sold.