When Fairfield County Councilofficially embarked on a major economic development project last year with the S.C. Department of Commerce to acquire about 1,200 of property located on the east side of I-77 and to the north of Highway 34, it was understood that the land might not be developed for many years.
On Monday evening, members of the Public Services and Development Committee came up with a proposed revenue producing use for the land in the interim.
“A Council member has suggested Council turn that 1,200 acres over to the Department of Natural Resources for hunters to use,” Committee Chairman Jimmy Ray Douglas told Committee members Bertha Goins and Neal Robinson.
But Douglas said he had a better idea.
“I’ve leased property over the years and I get $10 – $12 per acre for hunting rights. For 1,200 acres, that’s potentially $12,000,” Douglas said.
“I called Mr. (Councilman Dan)Ruff and he said we can advertise it for lease and start bids at $10 per acre. We would also require anyone who leases the property to have liability insurance to cover anything that might happen,” Douglas said.
Councilman Robinson asked County Administrator Jason Taylor his opinion.
“I think that as long as we follow the procurement code and advertise it properly, fully open to anyone who would like to bid on it and they have adequate insurance coverage, I think it would be okay,” Taylor said.
“The other option, to let DNR have it and they come up with a leasing plan, it would be left up to them who would hunt there,and that would not not generate any revenue for the County.”
“Because of the County’s relationship with the Commerce Department on the site” Taylor said, “we would need some kind of clause to allow for immediate termination of the lease should we have a prospect for the property.”
The committee voted unanimously to forward the proposal on to full Council.
Way to go JR . Now use the$$ to bring in lndustry.