ROCK SPRING, Ga. – The developer behind a $106 million luxury hotel and conference center on Lookout Mountain said he needs a property tax break to pay for key parts of the construction.
Duane Horton, president of Scenic Land Investments, told an audience of about 100 at the Walker County Civic Center on Monday night that his Canyon Ridge Resort project will generate an extra $1 million in tax revenue for the county. But in turn, the county needs to abate property taxes for 30 years.
Horton said he needs that money, which he will receive up front through a bond, to build a fire station, expand the sewer plant, increase the size of nearby water lines and improve hiking trails. The money also will cover the cost to build the conference center at the resort, which he believes is typically a local government’s responsibility.
“Can you explain to me why there needs to be a 30-year tax abatement?” asked Nancy Burton, of Lookout Mountain. “I was stunned by that number.”
“What we have on the table is the bare minimum for us to fund the portions of the project that are typically funded by the government,” Horton said.