Halifax County commissioners today approved a resolution that will allow a currently undisclosed company to buy 251.85 acres of land off Highway 301 in the Enfield area for $1.7 million.

Under this agreement, the county will require the company to create and maintain a taxable investment of $250 million, create and maintain 50 permanent full-time jobs, and pay wages at levels exceeding the average hourly wage in Halifax County.

Commissioner Thomas Barrett, who voted in favor of the resolution, did ask the board why the matter is currently confidential. “At what point does this not become confidential?” he asked. “We’re asking our county citizens to sell a piece of property and yet we can’t tell them who we’re selling it to.”

Halifax County Economic Development Director Cathy Scott said, “There are some issues related to our agreement that preclude us from giving the name of the company. It’s not unlike any other project that we are conveying. Generally, there’s an incentive process at the state level. It doesn’t matter if we generate the project or not. If there are state funds included**,** they (the state) have to announce the project. It’s not anything different than what we try to do (with other projects).”

County Attorney Glynn Rollins said the company has some due diligence it has to go through that requires confidentiality. “The company is actually purchasing the property for the fair market value that we determined,” he added.

However, Rollins said, “Once we close or once their due diligence has been accomplished and we’re about to close, that’s when the redacted versions will be replaced and fully disclosed.”

Scott said the company, which will be located on Trestle Road adjacent to Binderholz, will pay above-average wages and will not be detrimental to the environment. “We are grateful that we have this opportunity to work with this company.”

Approval of the resolution came after a public hearing in which no one from the audience spoke.