by Kathy Foster
Voting to move forward with plans to create an Authority to oversee the development of the Hwy 79 Project that involves Washington and Holmes Counties and the City of Bonifay, the Washington County Board of County Commissioner voted Monday afternoon to allow BOCC Chair Tray Hawkins to sign a contract with the Department of Economic Opportunity (DOE) to formally create the Authority.
Ted Everett and Jim Town met with commissioners Monday to see that the necessary paperwork was signed to formalize the Hwy 79 Project Authority in order to apply for $2,821,461 in grant funding from the DOE. The funding will allow the City of Bonifay to put water and sewer lines in place along Hwy 79 from the I-10 intersection to Douglas Ferry Road.
Town said a total of 1,549 acres will fall into the footprint of the Hwy 79 Project, with approximately 449 acres in Washington County, 630 acres in Holmes County, and 451 acres with the City of Bonifay.
This move will allow for enhanced economic development along that section of Hwy 79 that runs from Bonifay through Holmes County and into Washington County.
Projections are to open at least one business a year for the next seven years within the Authority’s boundaries.
Everett said the actual creation of the Authority is still about four months away, but added signing the contract with the DEO on Monday is one of the necessary steps.
Washington County BOCC Chair Tray Hawkins said that within five years projections are that traffic will be greater on Hwy 79 and Hwy 77 than on either Hwy 331 and Hwy 231 and he and his fellow commissioners want to be sure both Washington and Holmes counties are ready to take advantage of that change.