Public-private partnerships on commercial developments may be the new norm in Walker County.
At its most recent meeting, the Walker County Development Authority voted unanimously to take over site work and road construction on a somewhat controversial commercial development in the Hinkle community. In exchange for that work, a corner lot on the development will likely be sold back to the county for the construction of a new fire station.
“Now that this county gets 3 cents directly to us through the SPLOST, LOST and ESPLOST, commercial opportunities have quite the impact on the county, and the [county] commissioner [Bebe Heiskell] is asking you as a board to take a harder look at supporting commercial opportunities in the public-private partnership like we have done for five decades or more for industrial opportunities,” Walker County Attorney Don Oliver told WCDA members during the meeting. “We have several that are out there pending at the moment that you’re probably going to be asked to look at.
“There’s a commercial center being looked at in Chattanooga Valley that may be asking us for some help, a commercial opportunity in the old Southeast Federal building in Rossville that may be coming to us for some assistance, and Mr. [Elliott] Davenport’s going to be talking to you about a commercial center in the Hinkle community.”
The ongoing Hinkle project has been the source of opposition from local residents. Before the WCDA got involved, Heiskell had already contracted with the developer, 10 Foot Properties LLC, on behalf of the county. Residents in opposition to the original partnership have drafted a petition and stated opposition to the expenditure of county money on what will ultimately be a commercial development as well as the partnership itself, which they allege may be politically motivated.