Utility companies prepare for Country Crossing

Representatives of local utility companies are poised to step in to serve Country Crossing, and expect a meeting this week to address the infrastructure needs of the development.

Ronnie Gilley, developer of the mega country music entertainment destination, announced the location of Country Crossing last Thursday, saying Resorts Development Group II, LLC, signed agreements with owners of about 17 parcels of land totaling 776 acres.

The property is located three miles outside the Dothan city limits on Highway 231 South between Highway 109 and Smithville Road. Apogee Attractions, designer of Epcot Center and Disneyland Resort, is the project planner.

Gilley is anticipating breaking ground in 90 days. Those days will be filled with surveying, planning and designing the layout.

The county will have to approve the layout, said Houston County Commission Chairman Mark Culver, in describing the next steps.

“I am working on getting an initial infrastructure meeting with everyone. I am sure we don’t know any of the answers we need at this point because first we need to know the questions,” Culver said.

Brad Kimbro, director of member services for Wiregrass Electric Cooperative, said the coop is preparing to serve Country Crossing.

“The official location is our service territory, so we will be the ones to provide the power to whatever comes, however large it gets,” Kimbro said. “This week we will look at infrastructure to discover load, size, and plans.”

Kimbro said the coop’s wholesale provider, Power South Energy Cooperative, has the capacity to meet the needs of the project. And that’s not just up to 10 initial venues including a bingo center, several restaurants, theatres and an RV park expected to be built by next summer, but any new development that could come outside of Country Crossing.

“It does have the opportunity to bring a lot of jobs to the area,” Kimbro said. “That means homes, additional commercial and industrial growth, and the businesses that come along to support this. It allows our system to grow.”

Gilley has said there will be simultaneous builds at the site.

“If they do it all at once, we may look at a new substation at that area,” Kimbro said. “We have an obligation to serve whatever comes. Our lines are already there.”

Houston County Water Authority Chairman Danny McNeil said planning depends on the development’s needs.

“Yeah, we have the capacity to serve it to a certain point,” McNeil said. “We will need additional capacity. We have water in that area and plans already to put in additional lines in that area. We may have to upgrade the size of the lines (from 6- to 8-inch).”

Country Crossing also falls within the Rehobeth Fire and Rescue district, but the development could have its own fire department. Rehobeth Fire Chief Larry Strickland said no one has contacted the volunteer-run department about providing service.

Another question is sewer services. Dothan Mayor Pat Thomas said the city might be called upon to help in that area.

“We basically have been taking a wait-and-see attitude,” he said. “There is the possibility they will need (services from the city). It would be just like any other community that purchases from us. But there have not been any discussions on our part on any utilities.”

Culver said the development could tie into Dothan’s wastewater treatment plant, since one is nearby, or partner with another town, like Rehobeth, or build its own wastewater facility.

“On any of this, we really can’t make any determinations other than generalities, until we see plans. They may decide to use their own water on site.”