The Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen will hear during the April 1 meeting an agenda item that would authorize the sale and in turn lease of property in the Manchester Industrial Park in a payment in lieu of tax in the sale of 115 acres to Little Leaf Farms.

The Coffee County Industrial Board has not publicly announced the name of the industry at this time. The information was included on the city website in next week’s meeting agenda packet. The resolution authorizing the contract has not been approved by BOMA.

 If approved, the contract will authorize the sale of the property at $10,000 per acre to the Industrial Board to lease to Little Leaf Farms.

The resolution includes the city’s the option to exercise a right of first refusal in favor of the Little Leaf Farms for at least $30,000 an acre for the remainder of the 210 acre parcel.

According to Little Leaf Farms website, the company was founded to make locally grown, great-tasting lettuce that’s available year-round. The company  started developing its first 10-acre greenhouse in 2015.

Industrial Board offers incentive deal to prospective industry 

The Coffee County Industrial Board voted unanimously to approve the PILOT agreement for Project Greenhouse at the March 19 meeting.

A PILOT, or Payment in Lieu of Tax, agreement allows a business to rent from a government owned property and pay an alternative amount such as the costs of development or additional jobs in lieu of a typical property tax, according to the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury website.

According to Industrial Board Vice Chairman Cameron Newton, the PILOT agreement for Project Greenhouse falls in line with other agreements the Board has approved for other projects.

“The important context here, which was reviewed in committee… it does meet our 50% threshold in terms of our typical PILOT, so 50% over 20 years that we’re abating and 50% that we’re keeping,” he explained

Coffee County is one of two locations being considered for the project.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.