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Good Earth adds second wood processing site on Garland Prairie

WILLIAMS, Ariz. - Good Earth Power AZ purchased a second wood processing site on Garland Prairie east of Williams.

According to Good Earth, the 8.8 acre site near Arrow Redi Mix concrete has zoning and infrastructure in place and was previously home to an operating wood products business.

According to Williams City Manager Brandon Buchanan, Good Earth recently obtained an operating permit from the city of Williams.

"They've given us the layout with all the logistics and we're OK with allowing them to start with that part of the project," Buchanan said. "The smaller site to the south is more shovel ready, ready to go for them."

According to Buchanan, Good Earth is hoping for a seven-year lease at the site.

Good Earth recently turned in a complete site plan submittal to the city for the original l37-acre site. Buchanon said a permit would likely be issued this week.

The city issued a burn permit to Good Earth, which will support vegetation management from the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI), around Jan. 20.

The city revoked Good Earth's burn permit on Feb. 23 after two incidents where fire personnel observed visible flames in burn piles with no one monitoring them.

At the end of February, city officials had a meeting with Good Earth representatives to reiterate that the fire needed to be extinguished. When Good Earth did not follow through, Williams Building Inspector Tim Pettit decided on March 12 to revoke the grading permit in addition to the burn permit.

Buchanan said getting mills up and running is a learning process.

"They're new to northern Arizona and they're going to have to feel their way through how different cities do business," he said.

The city issued a grading permit to Good Earth and, according to Good Earth, excavation at the primary mill site began March 26.

According to a Good Earth newsletter, the company is pursuing the rezoning of the 37-acre parcel to allow for soils production.

Buchanan said that type of biomass processing is foreign to northern Arizona residents.

"It's new to most of us out here so it's going to be a learning process," he said. "We've explained this to Good Earth. They need to go through the education process before they bring it to us. And then, one strike against them is, now they've got this preconceived image of not managing the burn piles they had. What does that say for their ability to manage large piles that are also very flammable down the road? I'm not saying that they couldn't, but there is a public perception now that they can't. So they're going to have to overcome that before they even try to come to the city about mulching and composting."

The city of Williams received a grant through the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) to upsize an electric line to Garland Prairie from a substation north of I-40. The line serves Bearizona and the sawmill sites in the area. Good Earth officials wrote a letter to the ACA supporting that project in January.

Buchanan said the line would carry all of the capacity of the substation to the businesses in and around Garland Prairie.

The project will cost $350,000. The grant covers $250,000. The city will pay the remaining $100,000.

"In order to support those kind of businesses we'll do it," Buchanan said. "For us it's about creating good jobs. Jobs that pay more than the minimum wage. And then of course that line will support Bearizona and their continued success."

Buchanan said the amount the businesses in the area pay for the new electricity will cover the cost of the city's contribution to the project in a year.

"Their electric bills are going to be pretty steep because they use a lot of electricity," he said.


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