EDOC Director Wagley Responds To Megasite Concerns

There has been much discussion in Jefferson County, among officials and during meetings, regarding the proposed Megasite that would be located near the I40 and I81 split in Jefferson County. Attorney Scott Hurley, who represents 1400 acres of property in the footprint of the site, spoke in opposition to the project at the Monday evening County Commission Work Session. Garrett Wagley, Director of Jefferson County EDOC, responded to statements made during the meeting and in the press following the meeting. Wagley stated that there is a miscommunication regarding the State and TVA’s commitment to funding. He said that comments from those sources have been misinterpreted to mean that there will be no funding assistance from the State and TVA on the Megasite project. According to Wagley, there is creditable reason to believe that the State will be on board with the Megasite project after the certification phase is complete. He anticipates that there will be assistance in marketing the site, should the certification pan out. While he acknowledges that there are challenges facing the State regarding other Megasite projects, Wagley is convinced that the location of the Jefferson County site will be a draw for a large automotive manufacturer. He stated that EDOC is moving cautiously in the project, rather than jumping in as has been done on other sites in the State. The EDOC Director said that the success of the project is tied to property owner’s willingness to sell and the completion of the certification phase. According to Wagley, firm figures for the project are still in the works and some line items may have been overstated. Auditing of expenditures by the Jefferson County Finance Office will be a recommendation of EDOC, in an effort to provide transparency. As of Monday evening, the total acreage with options or the commitment to selling options is around 500 acres. Around 60 of those acres are in the targeted area that is necessary for the Megasite. There was no concrete information regarding the placement of the remaining acres or if they adjoin. The timeline for securing the necessary options is growing short, as the request for an additional nearly $2 million in funding to continue the certification phase will go before the Budget Committee for inclusion in the 2013-2014 fiscal year later this Spring.