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JACKSON – In June, Northampton County received a grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation to help carry out due diligence studies at the county’s Commerce Park. Now the county’s Board of Commissioners have approved four companies to perform the necessary work.

Northampton County Economic Development Director Derrick Bennett presented the information to the board during their Oct. 7 meeting.

The Commerce Park is located off Lebanon Church Road in Garysburg, and spans several hundred acres. The grant, which totals just under $50,000, will help ensure that the county will be able to market the site to future potential developers.

Recently, the county put out a Request for Qualification (RFQ) seeking firms that can perform the required due diligence studies. At Monday’s meeting, Bennett presented four companies that responded.

“These companies that are recommended have done work for Northampton County before,” explained. “They are reputable and come highly recommended.”

Each of the four companies will handle different aspects of the work. According to documents submitted to the commissioners, Odom Land Surveying Company will handle the Boundary Survey and Preliminary Plat. The Phase 1 Environmental Assessment will be conducted by Mid-Atlantic Associates. Terracon Consultants will handle several studies to include the Historical, Archeological, and Cultural Resource Review and the Wetland and Stream Delineation. And lastly, the Master Site Plan will be done by Stocks Engineering.

Commissioner Ed Martin said he was familiar with several of the recommended companies and that they were qualified to perform the work.

Commissioner Kelvin Edwards motioned to approve the recommendation, and Martin then provided the second. The vote was unanimously in favor by those in attendance. Commissioner Geneva Faulkner was unable to attend the meeting.

While before the board, Bennett also reported that the county’s nonprofit grant application has been revised and is now available for local nonprofits to apply for this year’s funding. And he also introduced the economic development department’s new employee, Shannon Godwin, who is a native of Rich Square.