FLORIDA, N.Y. -- With just days until the Florida planning board is expected to vote on Beech-Nut's $120 million facility, planning board chair Hal Hermance says the company has been putting heavy pressure on his members to move forward.
"Beech-Nut would say they are behind. From the town of Florida standpoint, I would say we are right on track," Hermance said.
Beech-Nut officials have made no secret about how slow the approval process is moving.
On Friday, company officials met with reporters from two local newspapers, telling one, "We're looking at an essentially zero float schedule to get them into the new facility by December '09 and everyday that goes by is a day we really can't afford to lose."
The Leader Herald reported the company can wait until June to break ground, but if it doesn't get the go ahead by then, it would have to start looking for an alternative locations.
It's been more than a year since Beech-Nut announced plans to build a facility in the town of Florida and shovels still haven't broken ground. Now company officials appear to be putting pressure on the final group that needs to okay the project. Our Mark Repasky spoke to the chairman of the town planning board and tells us why Beech-Nut still may not get the final approval it needs when the board meets this Thursday.
"That's true they have been threatening to leave, but where are they going to go? The state of New York has given them $100 million," Hermance said.
Despite the incentives, a spokesman for Beech-Nut confirms the company has been looking at other locations. He says the company cannot afford to miss the summer construction season.
Hermance though says it's not his board that's holding up the project. He says both Beech-Nut and the town of Florida are still waiting for permits from ENCON and the Army Corps of Engineers.
"You can't jump ahead of that. You have to let them have their time," Hermance said.
All those permits are said to be on the way.
Hermance does expect the board to vote on a conditional approval plan that would allow site work to begin.
Construction work would have to hold off until the permits are in hand and all 16 conditions of that plan are met.