Gretna looks to future with boundary adjustment

By: John Crane | GoDanRiver.com
Published: June 04, 2009

The town of Gretna now has 413 acres of property added to its limits, and included in that piece of land is a 100-acre industrial park.

The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors and the town council approved an agreement Monday night which added the swath to Gretna’s southern boundary. Now the town aims to market space in the park to prospective employers who would bring jobs to the northern Pittsylvania County hamlet.

With the Gretna Industrial Park, the town finally has its own site for industry.

The town’s next order of business is to form an industrial development authority committee to promote the park and attract businesses to the site, said Gretna Town Manager David Lilly. The boundary readjustment adds the industrial park, residences, Gretna’s middle and high schools and at least three businesses, including the new Hampton Inn, the Gretna Motel and Crossroads Restaurant, owned by Callands-Gretna Supervisor Fred Ingram.

Ingram said he is excited about the addition of the park

“We (the town of Gretna) haven’t had a site to show to any industry in 10 years,” Ingram said.

Construction for roads and an entry to the industrial park are under way, Lilly said. The park does not yet have water, sewer or fiber optic.

Ingram said he would like to see light industry providing 50 jobs or more to locate to the park. Though he’ll have to pay both town and county real-estate taxes for his restaurant because of the boundary change, he’ll owe less for in-town water and sewer rates and slightly cheaper town trash pickup. In addition, employees from industries that move to the park would dine at Ingram’s restaurant, he said.

Businesses and residents brought within the town limits will also get police protection and free brush pickup, Lilly said. The town hopes to install street lights and sidewalks farther south to tie the brought-in businesses and residences to the rest of Gretna, Lilly said.

As for industries opening businesses at Gretna Industrial Park, the authority would offer tax incentives, Lilly said. Also, Gretna is an industrial enterprise zone, making those companies eligible for state tax breaks, Ingram said.

“We’re very excited about it and grateful for this opportunity to be captain of the ship for a change,” Lilly said.

Contact Crane at jcrane@registerbee.com or (434) 791-7987.