Danville City Council and the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors will consider adopting a joint resolution in support of the Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act of 2013 when the two boards meet on Tuesday.
The two governing bodies will meet jointly at 6 p.m. at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Center on U.S. 29 in Chatham.
The Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act is federal legislation that addresses a longstanding issue with site development in industrial parks such as the Berry Hill industrial mega park project. Danville and Pittsylvania County have attempted to secure a permit for site preparation of a 443-acre site in the industrial park, hoping that it would attract job-creating manufacturing companies.
However, the Army Corps of Engineers will not issue a permit without, in part, an end-user committed to locate on the site.
The legislation, introduced in August of 2013 in the House by Rep. Robert Hurt and in the Senate by Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, would resolve that dilemma by specifying that the lack of a committed end-user company shall not be a reason to deny a Corps permit that meets all other legal requirements.
The resolution reads, in part, “WHEREAS, site development permits can take years to secure and economic development efforts are hindered when a recruited company will not locate to a site without an approved permit; however the applicable permit will not be issued by the Corps of Engineers without an end-user committed to locate on the site; and ….. WHEREAS, passage of the Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act would make the Clean Water Act permitting process less burdensome while continuing to protect the environment.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Supervisors of Pittsylvania County and the Council of the City of Danville that both governing bodies do hereby proclaim strong support for the Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act and recommend its adoption.”
The legislation remains in committee in both the House and Senate.
