Florence County Council prepares for company to bring 750 jobs

Florence County Council has moved a step closer to approving economic incentives for “Project JLL,” a projected $28 million investment that will bring 750 jobs to the area.

“This will be another major name that will be coming as our neighbor here in Florence County,” council chairman Rusty Smith said at Thursday’s council meeting.

Officials haven’t released the name of the company involved in Project JLL, nor where it would be located in the county.

The potential economic development project comes on the heels of H.J. Heinz Co.’s announcement that it will create 350 jobs at a new Florence County plant. The initial investment in the county will be $105 million, according to county documents.

Although county documents state Project JLL is expected to be a $20 million investment that will bring 500 jobs to the area, Smith said those figures will be even higher.

Council voted unanimously Thursday to approve second readings of ordinances to amend an agreement for a multicounty industrial park between Florence and Williamsburg counties and institute a fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreement for the project.

Council has scheduled a special called meeting next week so it can pass third and final readings of the ordinances after the company’s name is revealed, county administrator Richard Starks said.

Also Thursday, the council approved a fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreement with H.J. Heinz Finance Co. and BNP Paribas Leasing Corp. It also voted to add a parcel in Pee Dee Electric Cooperative’s Touchstone Energy Commerce City for Heinz’s future Florence plant.

Both ordinances were up for third and final readings.

Council members also voted to eliminate the raised concrete median from the scope of the Pineneedles Road widening project. Councilman Ken Ard said a center turn lane will be added instead because the community’s “overwhelming sentiment” is that a median would hinder access to their property.

“There’s a tremendous amount of potential development on that corridor” that also could be affected by a concrete median, Ard said.

Council also approved second reading of a $600,000 bond to fund the construction of a new fire station in the Windy Hill/Olanta Rural Volunteer Fire District. The new, larger station would replace Olanta’s current fire station.

In other business Thursday, the council:

• Approved $50,000 in infrastructure funds to help the Boys & Girls Club of the Pee Dee Area toward a $1.5 million expansion and renovation project.

• Approved recommended allocations for $250,000 in state accommodations tax collections, including $100,500 for the Florence Convention & Visitors Bureau and $50,000 for Florence Civic Center.

• Voted to allocate $48,000 in Road System Maintenance Fee funds to resurface Arrowood Drive, Falcon Way, Sky Lark Drive and Arrow Head Circle, all in the Arrowood subdivision.

• Voted to use nearly $24,800 in Road System Maintenance Fee funds to buy two inches of crushed asphalt for Jefferies Creek Boulevard and Magic Drive, in eastern Florence County.

• Voted to spend $3,000 in infrastructure funds to help Lake City with a sewer line project on Old English Road, at the Lake City Country Club.

• Voted to allocate $1,626 in Road System Maintenance Fee funds to place crushed asphalt on E. Williams Road near Coward.

• Voted to accept an S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control grant worth $8,730 to run the county’s used oil recycling program.

The council also made appointments to the Florence County/Municipal Planning Commission as well as the Board of Zoning Appeals, both of which will be revamped after July 1, when the city of Florence will re-establish its planning department.

The appointments were:

• Board of Zoning Appeals: James Cooper Jr., Bill Garner, Daniel Jackson, John Miller

• Planning Commission: King D. Lowery, Virginia Turbeville Talbert

Council members also reappointed Yvette Pierce to the Florence County Library Board of Trustees and selected Donna Goodman to serve on the county’s Cultural Commission.